One Stormy Night
by HopelessRomantic93
Summary: Holiday Story in which Jane and Maura struggle to discern their feelings for one another. As the holidays turn into the new year, a week away from Boston spent in the Pacific Northwest will help everything fall into place.
1. Chapter 1

After finishing a long case Jane headed over to Maura's place. Jane knocked a few times one the back door and then let herself in. Maura was sitting at the counter sipping a glass of red wine and flipping through a fashion magazine.

"Hey." Jane said dropping her keys on the counter top across from Maura and turning to the fridge for a cold beer.  
"Hey." Maura replied not even looking up from her magazine. "How was your day?"  
"Uneventful, yours?" Jane popped the top off her drink and leant against the island across from Maura.  
"Rather interesting actually." Maura said, finally closing her magazine and setting it aside. "I saw some curious bone decomposition today. Bone doesn't naturally decay in the manner I saw it today. The evidence has lead me to believe that the body was disposed near or possibly preserved in some sort of chemical for an extended period of time."  
" , are you guessing?" Jane teased as she took another drink from her beer.  
"No, I'm simply creating a hypothesis using collected data." Mara replied a little offensively.  
"You're gonna get hives." Jane remarked pointing a finger and indicating to her friend's chest. "C'mon lets watch a movie."

Jane walked over to the living room and grabbed the remote off the table before plopping herself down onto the couch. Maura followed the detective a moment later and set her glass of wine down on the table and fixed herself next to Jane. Jane put on a comedy figuring it would be something both the detective and medical examiner could enjoy. Jane kicked her boots off and draped her legs over Maura's lap while Maura grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch to cover both of their laps. Once their movie was over and they finished their drinks they decided to watch another movie since neither of them had to be anywhere anytime early the next day. Jane got up and took both their drinks to the kitchen while Maura searched for another movie to watch. On her way back to the couch the detective turned out the lights and placed herself back into the position she was before she had gotten up. The movie Maura had chosen was a classic, all about romance and the pressures of high society. Jane didn't care much for romantic films but she wasn't in any mood to fight her friend over it. They watched in quiet darkness as the movie played.

The next morning the detective woke up to sunlight hitting her face. She squinted and blinked a few times before opening her eyes and letting her sight adjust. She realized she was at Maura's and that she had probably fallen asleep while they were watching movies last night. Jane stretched trying to make the adjustment from sleeping to waking up when she noticed the weight against her side and over her legs. She looked down and noticed Maura had fallen asleep too. Maura's head was on her friend's stomach and the rest of her body curled up around Jane's side and legs. The detective smiled looking down at her friend thinking of how sweet Maura looked while she was peacefully asleep. She was glad Maura hadn't felt the need to leave the detective that night, she enjoyed waking up with her best friend at her side. Jane moved her hand to tuck a lock of Maura's hair that had fallen in front of her face behind her ear. The medical examiner suddenly stirred from the tickle of her hair being moved. Maura lifted herself off of her friend slightly and groggily wiped her eyes and mouth. Realizing where she was the medical examiner looked up at her friend and noticed she too was awake.

"Sorry, I think I drooled on you a little." She said giving her friend a slightly worried look.  
"You left your DNA on me!?" Jane scoffed and smiled. "It's fine. A little drool never hurt anyone." The girls adjusted themselves so they were sitting upright.  
"Are you hungry? I could make us some breakfast." Maura said already standing up prepared to make breakfast for the two as she often would when Jane stayed over.  
"Nah, I've got to meet Frankie soon. I will take some Coffee though." Jane replied, running a hand through her hair. Maura nodded and got up to start working on making them some coffee.

While the water got hot the medical examiner stepped away to change. When she returned she was wearing her black yoga pants, a loosely fitting purple tank top, and her hair tied back. Having changed her clothes seemed to have helped perk Maura up. In the living room Jane was trying her best to stay awake. She decided to remake the couch, figuring that actual movement might help her stay up. The detective folded the blanket and laid it over the back of the couch before putting all the pillows, they had apparently thrown off to make extra room themselves, back onto the furniture.  
"So what do you and Frankie have planned for today?" Maura asked returning to the living room with coffee in hand for both herself and her friend.  
"I promised him we'd go to the range." Jane replied taking the other mug of coffee from the medical examiners hand. Jane took a slow sip from her coffee and made a sigh of relief. "Thank you." She said looking at her friend who was smiling back at her.  
"You're welcome." Maura said before taking a drink of her own.  
"You got any plans for today?" Jane asked Maura.  
"Yoga, then probably tiding the place up a little, but other than that I have no plans."  
Jane looked around at her friend's seemingly spotless house.  
"Oh yeah, this place is a real pig sty." She said rolling her eyes and taking another drink from her mug. Maura playfully tapped her friends arm and then made a small laugh. "Well I'm not going to be busy all day either. Want to hang out again tonight?" Jane asked. "We could order a pizza, have a few drinks, Watch more movies."  
"Sure." Maura said. Just text me and let me know when you're headed over."  
"Aright." Jane said sounding a little more perked up now that she'd had coffee and a full day of plans ahead of her. "Well I should go. I'm already running a little late and I still need to get home and change." Jane set her mug on the table and slipped her boots back on before getting up to leave. "Thanks again for the coffee and letting me crash on your couch."  
"Really, it's no inconvenience." Came the medical examiners reply. Jane walked past Maura giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze before she headed for keys on the counter.  
"I'll text you when I'm on my way back." Jane said picking up her keys and with a few more strides she was out the door.

That afternoon all Maura could think about was the night before. Jane stayed at her place from time to time and they had even shared a bed on more than one occasion, but every morning after it left her with a little sadness. Maura was aware of her feelings for Jane and that her feelings for her friend always had a tendency to manifest themselves whenever Jane stayed the night. Over the years medical examiner realized, as cliché as it may seem, that even though she loved Jane as more than a friend she loved her as a best friend more and couldn't process the thought of possibly losing her. Besides Maura know that Jane loves Casey and she would never want to get in the way of that. The medical examiner knew how to handle her feelings about Jane though. She usually just push Jane towards attractive men they would meet. Maura would even set up double dates so that Jane would never suspect the medical examiners feelings for her. Not that Maura wasn't attracted to the men she would meet. She enjoyed meeting men who were cultured or even just extremely attractive. Sex is a physiological need that most people have and she would get her fix when it was needed but really finding a male she cared for was easier said than done. All the men she met usually wound up trying to kill her for one reason or another. Jane was always the one to rescue her and for that she was grateful, her best friend always proved to be her hero. The detective was intuitive, compassionate, and charismatic, Maura was not at all surprised when she realized what her feelings for Jane really were. She had dreams where Jane would come to her rescue and hold her closely and tell Maura that she loved her before catching her lips in a fiery kiss.

Maura shook her head to clear her thoughts. She couldn't let herself fixate on the idea of what COULD be, knowing that her chances were very small. Jane was her friend and that would have to be good enough for her. Maura couldn't picture her life without Jane in it. Even when they fought at times Maura was usually the first to want to cave because her friend was too important to her to and she knew how short life could be so she never saw a point to staying mad at a person for too long. Maura mentally prepared herself for the evening, she would make sure to ask Jane about Casey and hope that the bitter sting of jealousy wouldn't be too bad. The medical examiner finished yoga and cleaning around her home just before noon. After building up a sweat from both activities she decided to take a shower and afterwards maybe do some light reading or do some browsing on the internet. She figured the rest of her day would fall into place while she waited for her evening plans.

Jane had rushed home, peeling out of her clothes from the day before on her way to her bathroom to take a shower. She was running late and knew Frankie would be there any minute. She finished in the shower and grabbed the first few items of clothing she saw. Jane jumped into a pair of her favorite jeans and struggled getting into her bra. Her back was still wet from the shower causing the straps from her bra to get tangled. A few knocks on her door got the detectives attention as she realized her brother must already be there. "Be there in a minute!" Jane called from her bed room. She managed to untangle the back of her bra and accidently snapped her back. "Ouch! Shit!" She hissed to herself. The detective grabbed her grey B.P.D. t-shirt and started walking towards the door, managing to get her shirt completely on before swinging her door wide open.

"You're not ready to go?" Frankie asked judging by his sisters sopping wet hair and her lack of sock, shoes, and usual range gear.  
"Uh, No. Didn't have a whole lot of time this morning." She said heading back to her room to grab socks and a pair of shoes. Frankie walked in and took a seat on the couch while he waited. "Have a 'long' night." The younger detective tried to tease. Jane came back in and whacked her brother on the side of the head with her balled up socks.  
"Would you really want to know if I did have a 'long' night?" Jane said plopping herself down on the chair across from him and continuing to get dressed. Frankie shifted uncomfortably. "On second thought let's forget I said anything." He said. Jane laughed at her brother's obvious discomfort and finished with her shoes before standing up and grabbing the rest of her belongings. "So why are you so late this morning?" Her brother asked again.  
"Fell asleep at Maura's last night, didn't set an alarm, got here as fast as I could." She said tucking her belongings into her pockets and quickly tied her hair back and out of her face.  
"You ready?" Frankie asked heading towards the door.  
"Yup!" Jane replied holstering her gun and shutting the door behind them.

Jane and Frankie spent a few hours down at the firing range and afterwards decided to grab some lunch. They headed to one of their favorite spots nearby. A little food truck that served things like burgers, hot dogs, and nachos. The Rizzoli siblings ordered up some hot dogs and cokes and decided to split a large container of fries. They sat down with their food at the closets table they could find and made themselves comfortable before digging in.

"So what did you and Maura do last night?" Frankie asked before taking a bite of his food. Jane had already dove into her food and was in the middle of chewing a large bite when her brother asked her. Once the detective had finished her bite she shrugged and replied.  
"I just came over after work. There was nothing better to do at my place. We fell asleep on the couch watching movies though." Jane added with a small laugh. She quickly dismissed her wandering thoughts of her friend sleeping on her and started to ask her brother about work but was stopped before she could get more than two words out.  
"Wait." Frankie said cocking his head to the side slightly, wearing a sly smile. "You BOTH fell asleep on the couch?" he asked. Frankie knew Maura and his sister were close, they were best friends, best friends are supposed to be close. The younger detective also knew the difference between being gay WITH your friends and being gay FOR your friends. He loved his sister and he loved Maura and he'd seen the way they stared at each other and the way their touches linger just a little longer than most do. Frankie was sure there was something more going on between the two women, but he wasn't sure that either of them realized it.

"Well..yeah." Jane replied looking a little confused.  
"Hmmm." Frankie smiled and took a drink of his coke trying to suppress his amusement.  
"What?" Jane asked, sounding slightly irritated, putting her meal down.  
"Hmmm?" Was her brothers only reply as he was still sipping his drink trying to avoid his sisters question.  
"You've got a stupid smug smile on your face, what for?" Jane demanded.  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Frankie said setting his drink down and still smiling.  
"Yeah I'm sure you 'don't know' anything" The detective mocked her younger sibling and tossed a fry at him.  
"Hey!" Frankie barked. "If you're gonna throw fries at least let me try to catch them with my mouth."

The two finished their meal and reminisced about when they were kids for a while. Afterwards Frankie drove Jane back to her condo. They conversed about work and other things like 'If you could only have one super power, what would it be?' on the way back. Frankie decided he'd want super strength, both for practical use and to impress the ladies. Jane chose the ability to make people tell the truth, saying that it would save her a whole lot of trouble if she could just make suspects give themselves up instead of having to dig to figure it out. Frankie parked in front of Jane's place and turned to his older sister.  
"Hey Jane. Do you love Maura?" He asked gently unsure of how his sister would take it.  
"Of course." Jane replied giving her brother the same look of confusion she wore earlier.  
"Nah, I don't mean that way." He said. "I know you love her, we all love her. Do you LOVE her, love her."

Jane sat quietly staring at her brother letting what he had just asked really sink in. She knew she loved her friend as a friend but there was something about the young detective's question that really hit Jane. Maybe she did love Maura as more than a friend. She quickly thought back to all the times she'd been there for Maura when her friend really needed her and how protective she felt over the medical examiner.  
"Jane!" Frankie said almost shouting. Jane blinked and looked at her brother rather irritated that he was raising his voice when she was sitting right next to him.  
"What?" Jane replied with an annoyed tone.  
"Sorry, you've just been staring into space for about two minutes. I was waiting for an answer." He said apologetically. Jane looked away from her brother trying to avoid his gaze then looked back a moment later. "Oh course not." Came her reply. "She's my best friend. I'd do anything to protect her but no. I love Casey, you know that. Besides I'm not a lesbian."  
"No, I know. It's just…It's just I know how important she is to you."  
Jane nodded but didn't have anything else to say.

"Ok well, here's your stop. Now get out of my car." Frankie said with a playful shove. Jane laughed and shoved her brother back before getting out of the car and closing the door. Frankie rolled down his passenger window and leaned over.  
"Love ya, see ya tomorrow." He said trying fix any pain he may have caused his sister.  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Love you too." Jane said with a light laugh, turning to walk away.  
"Oh, Jane!" Frankie said grabbing his sister's attention one last time. The detective turned back and stared at her brother. "You know, there's no law that says two straight women couldn't fall for each other." With a wave and a chuckle the younger detective sped off down the road. Jane turned and headed inside replaying her brothers final words in her head as she made her way upstairs.


	2. Chapter 2

Maura arrived back home around 6:00. She had left earlier to pick up some groceries she needed and some beer for Jane since her friend wasn't very fond of wine. As Maura was pulling into her drive way Angela was just stepping out of the guest house to leave for her evening plans. The medical examiner popped the trunk of her car before stepping out to collect her bags.

"Let me help you with those, sweetie." Angela said walking over to assist Maura.  
"That's ok it's just two bags and some beer." Maura tried to convince her friend's mother.  
"Nonsense." Angela said, quickly dismissing the medical examiners protest. "You carry the beer and get the door. I've got the bags."  
Maura gave no further protest knowing that it was useless to refuse assistance from the eldest Rizzoli. Once inside Angela set the two large paper sacks onto the island counter top and waited for Maura to bring in the beer. Maura had opened the door for to bring her bags inside and had gone back to her Prius to grab the six-pack that was sitting in the trunk.

"Thanks, Angie." Maura said  
"No problem dear." replied. The medical examiner turned to start putting the refreshments away but stop to do a double take. She hadn't noticed until that moment but Angela was dressed in a little, black, quarter sleeved dress. With heels to match and her hair curled. "Angela!" Maura said in surprise. "You're absolutely stunning. Where are you headed off to?"  
"Oh this?" Angela gestured to her attire. "I have a date tonight. He should be here any minute." said beaming.  
"Well who is he?" the Medical examiner pushed.  
"Oh I can't tell you just yet. I want to see if things work out between us before I go telling everyone about him."

Maura could hear the hope in Angela's voice. An instant later the sound of another car pulling in the drive way interrupted their conversation. Angela peeked out the back door and saw it was her date. Before Maura could get a peek at who the driver was quickly gave her daughter's friend a hug goodbye and Maura wished Angela well on her date. As the door closed behind the eldest Rizzoli, Maura started unpacking her things. She placed the beer in the door of the fridge and put all her produce in its designated section of the fridge. Once she was finished putting things away she heard her phone buzz notifying her of a text message. Retrieving her phone from the other end of the island she saw that the text message was from Jane.  
**  
"On my way. Do I need to bring anything?"**

Maura told the detective she didn't need to bring anything and that everything was taken care of. Jane replied to her a minute later with a simple "k" as her answer. Knowing it wouldn't take her friend long to get to her home the medical examiner decided to open a bottle of wine, figuring that by the time Jane arrived it would have had plenty of time to breathe. Maura opened her bottle and set it aside and began looking for the menu she kept for times like these when her friend would come over and they'd order take out. She grabbed the menu for their favorite pizza place and set it on top of the island figuring that the detective could order when she arrived.

Almost ten minutes later Jane arrived at the medical examiners home. She knocked on the door three times and Maura answered swiftly.  
"That was fast." Maura said with a smile, welcoming her friend into her home.  
"Yeah there was hardly any traffic on the way here." Jane said a little surprised herself.  
"There's beer in the fridge and the menu for dinner is on the island." Maura indicated to her friend. Jane made a noise of delight at the mention of beer and headed for the fridge.

The two settled on what kind of pizza they wanted and Jane placed the order while Maura chose a movie for the two to watch. Once she was off the phone Jane told Maura their pizza would arrive in about forty five minutes. The medical examiner offered to pay but the detective insisted it was no trouble. The girls sat themselves down in their usual positions on Maura's couch and chatted a bit, waiting for their pizza before starting the movie. They talked about how their mornings went. Jane talked about her time with her brother on the range and that she had taken JoFriday for a jog once she got home. Maura explained that her day was rather relaxing. She had done yoga that morning and got all her cleaning done before it was even noon. Then she spent the rest of her afternoon relaxing and reading fascinating articles about Aokigahara. The medical examiner also added how Angela was off on a date and wouldn't tell her anything about who she was seeing. Jane was a little annoyed by the lack of information her mother was willing to give her best friend. Considering her mother could never keep a secret of any magnitude to herself for very long.

Pizza arrived and the two made their plates, enjoying slices from their individual sides. Jane always chose pepperoni for her side and Maura, more often than not, chose a healthier option like mushrooms. Once they're food had arrived they made themselves comfortable once more on the couch as they sat down to watch a documentary. Maura had chosen a documentary about unsolved cases within the last decade, deciding it was something herself and the detective could both enjoy. As they sat comfortably on the couch Jane looked over at her friend who was engrossed in the documentary and its medical findings on the victims. She watched her friend as she took a sip from her wine glass, taking in the medical examiners profile, how her lips looked as they pressed against the rim of her glass. Suddenly the words the detective's brother had spoken to her earlier crept back into her mind. Jane quickly turned her head away, still playing her brothers words over in her mind.

She looked over at the honey blonde woman one more time and saw the smile that was blossoming on the medical examiners face; the smile that could light up a room. Obviously something had amused the medical examiner.  
"What's so funny?" Jane asked suddenly bringing her attention back to the documentary.  
"Oh." Maura said with a light laugh. "Just a bit of paleontology humor about the thoracic cage in humans as compared to other mammals found in specific locations such as a crime scene where the victim may have been buried along with several other mammals that were of a similar size." Maura beamed. Jane rolled her eyes and couldn't help but smile.  
"Can't you ever just explain something simply?" Jane asked playfully.  
"No, I don't think I can." Maura countered with a grin. The two shared a laugh and Maura shifted, making herself more comfortable curling up next to Jane's side.

The detective tensed as a waterfall of honey blonde hair covered her shoulder. She never cared when her friend used her as a pillow. She liked feeling useful in anyway. But this time Jane seemed to notice things she hadn't fully realized until now. Like the way Maura's hair smelled. She always knew her friend smelled and presented herself nicely. This time however the sweet scent seemed to envelope her, invading her thoughts and her actions. Almost instinctively she pressed her cheek against the top of Maura's head and smiled as the medical examiner gave a small relaxed sigh in response. They finished their documentary and cleaned up after themselves before they said their goodbyes. With the decision to meet for coffee in the following morning and a few pleasantries the detective left.

Jane finished getting changed and ready for bed. She closed her door and turned out the lights before crawling into the soft sheets. The detective laid in silence staring into the piercing black of the room thinking to herself. She thought about Maura's smile and how contagious it was. How smart her friend was and how enjoyable it was to see her friend become so intrigued in the science of everything. As if she had just woken from a dream that she had been sleepwalking through, Jane finally realized that her feelings for the medical examiner were more than just that of a friend. Though she cared for Maura like a friend she came to notice the much stronger adoration she felt for the woman. With that in mind the detective whispered quietly to herself the one word she felt could most accurately describe her feelings in that moment.  
"Fuck."

Back at Maura's the medical examiner couldn't sleep. Once Jane had finally left Maura was able to let her mind wander to the place she wouldn't let it go when she was around her friend. Looking for comfort Maura sought out her pet tortoise Bass who was in the kitchen slowly chewing on some kale his owner had left out for him. Maura knelt down next to Bass and slowly placed a hand on the top of his shell so as to not spook the reptile. "What am I going to do?" Maura whispered more to herself than to Bass. She watched the tortoise chew his food and contemplated ways of forgetting her desire to be with someone whom was already in love with someone else.

Fall seemed to arrive and fly by in the blink of an eye. Before anyone knew it was already November. It had been a stressful few weeks. The last weeks of October always seemed to spark a rise in homicides. Both Jane and Maura had become swamped with work, neither had been able have any time off since they last spent time together. Of course they had seen each other at work but they had both agreed that they needed to spend time outside of work together again soon. That night Jane sent Maura a text to meet her at the Dirty Robber after work and they could finally have time to catch up.

Maura arrived first and chose a booth near the back of the Dirty Robber where it would be at least a little quieter. The medical examiner ordered a glass of Merlot and made herself comfortable. It didn't take long for Jane to show up, Maura hadn't even received her wine before the detective arrived and joined her. As Jane reached the booth so did the waitress with Maura's wine. Jane slid into the side opposite of the medical examiner and asked the waitress if she could bring her a beer. The waitress handed Maura her glass and headed back to the bar for the detectives drink.

"Would you and your family be interested in having Thanksgiving dinner with me at my place?" Maura spoke. Jane looked surprised and the urgency in her friends tone. The detective hadn't even seated herself properly before her friend had asked her question.  
"Uh…I don't see why we couldn't-"  
"It's just" Maura began but stopped.  
"Just what?" The detective asked with a curious frown.  
"I want to know what it would be like to have a family dinner during the holidays." The medical examiners usually jolly demeanor had vanished with her words. Jane's heart sank realizing what her friend meant. She knew Maura grew up with very little parent interaction, something Jane envied a little herself but knew she shouldn't, seeing the pain it caused her friend. "My parents are typically at their busiest during the holidays so I've never experienced a real family Thanksgiving and seeing as how I have the room for everyone-"  
"We would love to spend thanksgiving with you, Maura." Jane said reaching across the table for her friend's hand.

Maura smiled sheepishly as Jane held her hand. The Rizzoli's were her favorite family she loved them and knew that they all loved her. The medical examiner relaxed at the feel of her friends thumb stroking the back of her hand but was surprised when Jane suddenly let go. The waitress had come back to their booth carrying a drink for Jane and a small bowl of peanuts for the table.  
"Hey! What if Frost and Korsak could join us?" Jane nearly shouted once the waitress had left them again. Maura hadn't even thought about the boys, figuring they had family of their own to spend the holidays with.  
"If they want to come then the more the merrier!" Maura said with a blossoming smile. She'd never felt so at home than when she was with Jane, Vince, Barry, And the Rizzoli clan. Jane smiled too taking a drink from her beer and digging into the bowl of peanuts.

Jane and Maura decided that the detective would be the one to inform her family that they would be spending the holiday at Maura's. They could watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on Maura's TV while everyone helped out with dinner and deserts. Jane offered to ask Vince and Barry if they would like to attend the holiday with them as well but Maura said she would do it. The medical examiner started discussing menu options with the detective but was cut short almost immediately when the words "Kale Salad" were spoken. Jane insisted that if Maura wanted to have an authentic family holiday that she trust the detective and her family and let Jane's mother plan the menu. Maura agreed only on the condition that she was allowed to contribute at least one healthy menu item.

The two spent a few hours at the Dirty Robber discussing the upcoming holiday. Jane could hear the excitement in Maura's voice. She was so happy that her family cared as much about Maura as she did. She knew no one in her family would have any objections to spending the holiday at the medical examiners house instead of her smaller apartment/condo. In fact she was sure her mother would be delighted to get to use a larger kitchen since the eldest Rizzoli would always complain to her daughter about the lack of space the apartment's kitchen provided.

Before the night came to close Maura suddenly asked Jane something she had almost forgotten to.  
"Oh, Jane" Maura said. "I have a gala I have to attend this weekend. Would you do me the honor of being my guest?"  
"Would I be required to wear a dress?" Jane almost groaned already knowing the answer.  
"Yes. But if you'd rather not come that's ok. I just thought that since we hadn't spent much time out of work that-"  
"Yeah, yeah." Jane waved her friends comment off, feeling slightly guilty. The detective caught sight of a pair of hopeful hazel eyes and was forced to drop her sarcasm. "I'd love to." She said returning the smile that was spreading across the medical examiners face. The two had long since finished their drinks and were ready to drive themselves home. Maura promised Jane she would text her with the details of where they'd meet that weekend. With a hug and a gentle hand squeeze the two women said goodbye and went their separate ways.


	3. Chapter 3

That weekend Jane attended the gala with Maura. They met near the front entrance both being absolutely stunned by the others appearance. Jane had arrived first and waited next to the door for her friend in a black, deep v neck dress that curved her body and flowed down to her ankles with a slit in the side that reviled the detectives well defined calf muscles. Allowing her naturally curly hair to fall luxuriously around her; framing her face. The medical examiner arrived shortly after the detective in an olive green, halter top gown that hugged the curves of her torso and hips but fell freely the rest of the way to the floor. Unlike most occasions, this time Maura wore her hair up in style that let the curls of her hair frame her face while they cascaded back into a sophisticated style bun.

The detective froze, watching her friend ascended the stone steps to the entry way of their party, she marveled at how lovely Maura truly was. Maura too noticed how breathtaking Jane looked that evening. The medical examiner knew how much her friend disliked having to dress for this sort of occasion but never understood why because she was always striking in whatever she wore.  
"Wow, Maur. You look…" Jane paused looking for a word that could accurately describe her friend without hinting to her feelings and tipping the medical examiner off. "Great." She finished with a stutter. The honey blonde smiled in kind to her friends comment.  
"You look pretty alluring yourself." Maura said with a sultry tone. The detective felt her neck turn red from a blush but quickly dismissed her feelings and walked with her friend into their party.

The girls drank champagne and conversed with colleagues and other social elite people in attendance. Jane rarley left the blondes side except to find food or another drink. They spent some time joking about some of the less fortunate males who had tried to hit on Jane that evening but were beyond out of their league. Towards the end of the night as Jane and Maura were enjoying each other's company alone for the first time all evening a handsome young man approached the two of them.

"Dr. Isles" The young man spoke. Both the medical examiner and detective turned in the direction of the voice behind them. Maura greeted the stranger with a sweet smile while Jane greeted him with a blank expression.  
"Yes." The medical examiner spoke.  
"My name is Mark Cunningham. This is my father's party." Mark proudly announced. Jane sneered at the handsome man's comment. She hated when rich people made a point to inform everyone that they are in fact wealthy.  
"Oh!" Maura's voice raised in surprise. Not expecting son to be as devilishly handsome as he was. "I haven't had a chance to run into your father, to thank him for inviting us to this wonderful event." Maura's voice rang with delight.  
"I'm here in his place. He was unfortunately unable to attend." He said. "But I'm glad I was able attend in his absence so that I could meet you." Mark continued with a charming grin. Jane rolled her eyes turning back to the bar where her drink sat. "This must be your friend. Detective…Rizzoli?" Jane turned back around, eyebrows cocked in both surprise and concern at the gentleman knowing her name.  
"Yeah. How'd you know that?" Jane said a little supspisciously.  
"I ran into some articles from several years back." He casually mentioned. "Both of your names were all over the place." Mark tried giving an easy smile.

Jane looked over to her friend wearing one of her disgruntled expressions. Maura merely smiled back at her friend, reassuring her that Mark was just being amiable.  
"May I get you ladies another drink?" He offered politely.  
"No." Jane said before Maura could speak. "I think we were just about to leave." Jane finished easily.  
"Uh…wait a minute." Maura interjected quickly before her friend could make a move to leave.  
"Mark could you give my friend and I a moment." She asked with her sweet smile that Jane was sure no one could refuse.  
"Of course." Mark nodded and went to get himself another drink.

Maura gave Jane a bothered look and Jane felt as though she had been slapped across the face.  
"What's that face for?" Jane asked sounding annoyed and confused.  
"We never said we were leaving." Maura continued to stare at Jane with a look of confusion.  
"Maura, this guy is obviously just trying to get in your pants." Jane said matter-of-factly.  
"You don't know that." Maura said giving Jane a frown.  
"C'mon, Maur. It's so obvious." The detective was becoming frustrated now.  
"Well I don't see it that way. Besides what if I wanted to have intercourse with him? It's perfectly natural for females to choose the best looking males as mates."

Jane practically winced at the medical examiners words and the thought of her friend having sex with a guy like that. Sure they were definitely in the same league, both attractive, both smart, both coming from well off families. Jane sighed and realized there was no point in arguing. Maura was her friend and she should be happy that her friend was taking an interest in someone after so long.  
"Fine." Jane said in defeat. "Have a drink with the rich doctor's son." She said waving a hand through the air. "I'm gonna head home though, alright?"  
"Jane." The medical examiner almost whined. "Please, you don't have to go. Stay and have a drink with us." Maura tried to persuade her friend.  
"Nah. I-I don't think so. This dress is starting to ride up on me. But I'll see you at work tomorrow, kay?" Jane said smiling at her friend. Maura reached out and grabbed her friends hand giving it a firm, appreciative squeeze.  
"Thank you for coming with me tonight." She said; the lights from above causing her hazel eyes to twinkle a little. Jane took a deep breath trying hard to force the feelings starting in her stomach from making her say something she'd regret.  
"Anytime." Jane said squeezing her friends hand in return.

Before heading out the door Jane glanced back at her friend who had just been greeted by the talented doctor's son once more. She watched the medical examiner lace her arm within his as he led her towards the dance floor where a slow tune had just started to play. Jane forced herself not to watch them and turned to head out the door. She had chosen not to use the valet for so many reasons but the most important being she wanted to know where her car was when she left, so the detective parked her car about a block away. When Jane reached her car she got in and turned on the ignition letting the car warm a bit while she got herself buckled. The detective didn't drive anywhere at first. She just sat staring out the windshield into the dimly lit street, thinking to herself.

Jane felt the cold stab of jealousy hit her. She had never had a problem with Maura dating men before, though she was always on high alert wanting only for her friend to be safe. Now that Jane had admitted to herself the feelings she had for her friend she wasn't sure how well she'd be able to deal with her friend seeing other people. Of course she would be supportive, that's what you do for your friends. Jane knew that this wasn't going to be easy for her but Maura was the most important person to her and she wasn't going to lose her over this. Maybe it was just a phase and eventually over time her feelings for Maura in the romantic sense would vanish and they could go back to how it's always been. But until then Jane would have to grin and bear it. Deciding what had to be done the detective shook her mind free of the emotional clutter building up inside her and drove home.

The few weeks that it took for Thanksgiving to arrive passed with ease. Work kept Jane busy both physically and mentally. And Maura had been seeing Mark in her spare time. The two women found some time to spend together during those weeks (though it wasn't much), spending it at the Dirty Robber with Vince, Barry, and Frankie. Maura told Jane all about Mark and Jane in turn was genuinely happy for her friend. The medical examiners new boyfriend seemed to be sane and hadn't made an attempt on Maura's life.

The Night before Thanksgiving Jane retired to her apartment after a long day of work and an enjoyable evening at the Dirty Robber with the gang (all except Maura who had dinner plans with Mark that night). The detective flopped herself down on the couch and put her feet up, making herself comfortable and switching the television on. JoFriday scampered out from the bedroom and jump into the detective's lap, ears perked up to greet her master with. Jane smiled at her furry companion and gave Jo a scratch behind the ear. The two lounged on the couch watching the food network until they nearly fell asleep. Jane was suddenly pulled from her dazed state by a familiar jingle. The detective gently removed a slumbering JoFriday from her lap and stood up, heading towards the bar in her kitchen. Her laptop sat on the counter top and she opened it to receive an incoming Skype call from Casey.

"Hey!" Jane said with a perplexed tone. She hadn't heard from Casey in a few months and had nearly forgotten him until this point.  
"Hello, Jane." Casey said in a loving manner, his voice warm and inviting. Jane was happy that Casey had called. "How's Boston?" He asked with a charming smile.  
"It's…Boston." The detective laughed unable to find a better description. "How's Afghanistan?"  
"It's definitely not Massachusetts." The soldier laughed but his smile quickly faded and was replaced with remorse. "I miss you, Jane." He spoke softly. Jane's smile too, faded.  
"I miss you too." She said feeling a twinge of pain and avoiding the soldier's eyes on the screen.  
"Jane? Is something bothering you?" Casey asked with a voice of concern.  
"No, it's just…It's…" Jane thought about lying to Casey, but just like with Maura there was no reason she could think of to hide anything from someone she trusted so well. "If you cared about someone and they started spending time with someone new, you'd be happy for them right?" Jane asked.  
"Have you met another guy? Beca-" The solider was cut short.  
"No, no, not you." The detective scrambled. "It…It's Maura." Jane said feeling a little defeated. She rubbed her faced irritably and sighed trying to calm herself.  
"What's going on?" Casey pushed.

Jane told Casey about how Maura had a new boyfriend and that they were no longer spending a lot of time together. The detective expressed that she was well aware of how budding relationships worked. She then explained to the solider how her friend's previous relationships had almost caused her, her life. This being Maura's first relationship in a while to actually work out made Jane sincerely happy for her friend; although she was feeling more than a little left out, having only seen the medical examiner three times in the past three weeks. Casey gave the detective a sympathetic smile before asking a question.

"Are you in love with her?" The solider asked with a weak smile. Jane's head shot up, tearing her eyes from the counter top where she had let them wander during her rant.  
"Wha-? No. H-how did you get to that conclusion?" Jane asked defensively.  
"I know how close you two are. I've seen how you look at her." Casey said.  
"She's my best friend, I mean I love her but you're the person I'm in love with." The detective tried to convince even herself, because she did love Casey.  
"I know you love me, Jane. And I love you, more than you know." He paused, smiling. "But you love her. It's written on your face when talk about her." Letting his words sink in Jane remained speechless. "And to answer your question, Yes. I'd be happy for someone I cared about if they found someone else that made them extraordinarily happy." Casey said exposing the detective's real question. "Jane I know we care about each other, but I'm not surprised you fell for someone else. It's a little unfortunate on my part." He gave a small chuckle trying to cover up his pain. "But we're nearly seven thousand miles apart. It's actually the reason I called originally. I wanted to let you know I wouldn't be coming back for another nine months."

Jane's heart sank at the news. Her solider had promised her he'd be home in time for the New Year. Now it seemed as though they were breaking up and that it wouldn't matter as much. Jane though still felt heartache realizing that she wouldn't have seen Casey in over a year and a half.  
"I should go now; I've used up most of my time." The solider started. "Jane? Promise me one thing." He pleaded.  
"Anything." The detective said feeling the hard lump forming in the back of her throat.  
"Tell Maura how you feel. If I'm going to lose you to anyone, they should at least know." He smiled kindly at the detective and gave his final goodbyes before ending the video call.

Jane closed her laptop and broke out into agonizing sobs. She loved and trusted Casey he was the only man Jane had ever dated that she could see herself settling down with. He was right though, the detective was in love with her best friend. She had convinced herself that since Maura was happy with Mark that she would be happy for her friend and doing so be forced to drop her feelings for the medical examiner. Jane dragged herself around her apartment turning out the lights and finally laid herself in bed without bothering to get undressed. Still wearing her work slacks she curled into a ball on the top of her bed sheets and continued to let her emotions spill out in her tears. JoFriday, responding to the distress in her master's cries, wriggled herself next to the detective's chest. Slowly accepting the loss of Casey and fearing telling her friend her true feelings, Jane let her tears fall until she slipped into a peaceful slumber.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanksgiving Day arrived and Maura woke up early to start preparing for the day. Both the medical examiner and had spent the previous day cleaning the house and prepping deserts for after thanksgiving dinner. When Maura woke she made herself a cup of coffee and made one final sweep over the house to make sure everything was in order. She placed Bass's food in her computer room and made sure her tortoise had made his way in there so he would be out of everyone's way when they arrived. Just as she finished making her rounds Angela walked in through the back door.  
"Sure is chilly outside." The eldest Rizzoli commented.  
"Oh!" Maura said a little surprised. "I didn't expect to see you until later."  
"I was too excited to get started." Angela grinned. "I love the Holidays, especially thanksgiving. Family all gathered around to share a delicious meal and reflect on what's important in life."  
"Did you know that due to the English colonist's religion, the original days of thanks lasted three days and were not celebrated by feasting but actually by prayer?" Maura asked curiously.  
"Huh, I don't think I did know that." Angela gave Maura an intrigued look and started pulling out ingredients.  
"Yes. And the reason we celebrate with food consumption now is symbolic of the pilgrim's first successful harvest." Maura added cheerfully.  
"Now that I knew." laughed to herself.

The medical examiner offered to help Angela with prepping dinner but the eldest Rizzoli simply waved her off and told her to get ready for the afternoon. Maura did as she was told and made off towards her bedroom. While the medical examiner was getting ready for her day Angela worked downstairs peeling and boiling potatoes that would later get used for several dishes. She started placing pies in the oven and setting timers for each individual one. When the pies were done she set them on racks and on the dining room table for them to cool. The doorbell rang and hour or so later and Angela opened the front door to find Jane and Frankie on the other side.

"Well look at you two. Out of bed before it's even noon!" Angela nearly shouted in sarcasm. Both Rizzoli children smirked before walking in and giving their mother a hug.  
"We thought you could use some help." Frankie said carting a cooler towards the back door. Jane set the ice she had been carrying outside the back door where her younger brother was setting up his cooler. The two headed back out the front door and came back in moments later with cases of beer and a few bottles of wine. They set the wine on the counter and set the cases of beer out back for Frankie to put in the cooler.  
"Where's Maur?" Jane asked her mother realizing she hadn't seen nor heard the medical examiner.  
"I told her to go get ready an hour ago, she's probably just now stepping into the shower, you know she does that yoga stuff in the morning." replied.

Jane nodded knowing full well what the medical examiners daily routine was. She most likely took a full hour for yoga and wouldn't be seen for another hour or so while she was getting ready. Angela continued futzing around the kitchen grabbing mixing bowls of different sizes in a hurry.  
"Ma' why don't you head over to the guest house. Frankie and I can make the potato salad and the deviled eggs." Jane said.  
"Ok but make sure to use just a little bit of mu-"  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. A little bit of mustard in the eggs. We know the drill." Frankie said with a playful grin. The eldest Rizzoli let her children take over, giving them each a peck on the cheek as she made her way across the room and out the door. The younger detective volunteered to make the potato salad while the eldest made the eggs. They both finished and Frankie quickly turned on the TV before heading back to the kitchen to rejoin his sister. Jane moved the wine to the wine rack in the kitchen and began preparing dips while her brother placed some beans in a crock pot. They set all that needed to be kept cold in the refrigerator, cleaned up the counter tops, and washed the dishes before making themselves comfortable with beers on the couch.

The four of them spent the afternoon enjoying each other's company and getting everything ready for the rest of the guests to arrive that evening. Tommy, Lydia, and T.J were the first to show up, followed soon after by detective Korsak and detective Frost. Maura being the hostess she was greeted her company at the door and welcomed them in. Dinner was ready at six o'clock and everyone was more than prepared for their delicious smelling meal. Maura and Jane had already set the dining room table earlier, all that was left was for everyone to sit together and enjoy the meal. Everyone took their seats around the table and as was tradition in the Rizzoli household everyone had to give thanks to something in their life before anyone was allowed to eat. Angela started at the head of the table and they went around counter clockwise until they ended with Jane and Maura.

"Well I'm thankful for this food." Jane said jokingly. Angela shot her daughter a serious look. "Aaaand I'm thankful for Ma' for cooking it, and Maura for inviting us into her home to share this evening with. And of course I'm thankful for each of you being part of my life." Jane gave a shy smile and quickly sat down silently giving Maura the floor. The medical examiner stood up gracefully and raised her glass. "I never had much of a family growing up. I spent a lot of time on my own and I became comfortable in my loneliness." The medical examiners voice began to shake and she quickly cleared her voice to rid her nerves. "I'm grateful that I was able to meet every one of you, you are all extraordinary human beings and I'm grateful that I get to call you my friends."

"Family." Jane corrected the medical examiner, staring up at her friend in adoration. Maura looked down at the detective having not completely registered Jane's comment before everyone around the table chimed in.  
"Of course you're family, Maura." Frankie Said.  
"Hell, we like you better than Jane." Korsak quipped. The table erupted in laughter and Jane shot him a leery look before rolling her eyes and giving a small laugh herself.  
"I've always considered you like a second daughter to me, Maura." Angela's voice rang.  
Maura smiled feeling the overwhelming sense of belonging for the first time. The honey blonde lifted her glass of wine and spoke proudly. "Well, in that case. To family."

Around the table glasses were raised and smiles played on everyone's lips. But probably the brightest of all the smiles was Maura's. The medical examiner sat back down and Jane reached down to take her hand and gave it a promising squeeze. Maura smiled back at her friend, their eyes locked in a moment were they could almost hear each other's thoughts.

Everyone ate until their stomachs were stuffed and the fatigue of the evening fell upon them. Tommy and Lydia left right after dinner, needing to get Tommy Jr. home and off to bed. Around nine thirty Vince and Barry said their thanks and goodbyes before heading back home, leaving the four to clean up after dinner. Jane and Maura worked on putting the food away while Angela and Frankie tended to the dished. The medical examiner picked through what was left of her kale &amp; strawberry salad (which she was trilled everyone had enjoyed) and set some leaves and berries on a plate for Bass. Once all the leftovers were put away (or dished up and ready to be taken home in Frankie and Jane's case) Maura took the small plate of greens and brought it in to her computer room where Bass had been all day.

"Hey buddy." Maura said softly, gradually lowering herself to the floor so she wouldn't spook the tortoise. "I brought you some of your favorites." She offered Bass a berry and he cautiously poked his head out of his shell and took it from her. Maura smiled and gently patted the large tortoises shell before standing up to leave once again.  
"Giving your turtle his own thanksgiving dinner?" Jane asked with amusement. Startled by the detective's voice, the medical examiner spun around with such a hurry that it caused her to trip over her own heels. Jane immediately darted towards her friend and reached out just in time to catch her.  
"Are you ok?" Jane looked worriedly from Maura's eyes to her ankle and back.  
"Yeah." Maura said breathlessly. Jane helped her friend upright, never letting go of her grip around the medical examiners waist. Putting some weight on her foot Maura spoke. "There appears to be no discomfort of the tibiofibular ligaments…Thank you." Maura looked up into the detectives brown eyes thankfully.  
"No problem." Jane gave a soft smile. The detective looked from hazel eyes to delicate pink lips. Both Women tensed feeling the chemistry between them intensify, the two were standing exceptionally close and neither had realized.

Jane contemplated kissing Maura, the way she was looking at her made the detective hungry for the taste of her lips. Their faces very slowly gravitated towards one another both feeling that fuel of desire for the other. A look of pain and guilt flashed across Jane's face just as they'd come close enough to feel the other's breath on their skin. Maura instantly pulled back to examine her friend better.  
"Jane, what's wrong?" Maura said with concern. The detective bit her tongue, she promised Casey she would tell her, but Maura was seeing someone and she didn't want to ruin that or their friendship by spilling her feelings for the medical examiner right now. She would wait, she would keep her promise to Casey, but it would have to wait.  
"Casey and I broke up last night." Jane admitted instead.  
"Oh, Jane." Maura's whispered empathetically. "I'm so sorry." The medical examiner threw her arms around her best friend and wrapped her in a comforting hug. The detective embraced her friend the same and leaned her cheek against waves of honey blonde hair feeling remorseful.

It was true, Jane and Casey had broken up but it was because she loved someone else. That very someone whom was holding her so very close at this moment and she couldn't tell, even though they were best friends and she shared everything with Maura. They stayed in their embrace, Maura giving words or reassurance to her dear friend until Angela had called out for them from the kitchen. They headed back towards the front half of the house having forgotten all about their almost first kiss. Jane would hope that Maura wouldn't remember and Maura would chalk it up to the fact that Jane had just gone through a great deal of stress.

About two weeks before Christmas Jane headed over to Maura's with JoFriday to help set up decorations. Maura had mentioned to Jane that she planned on hiring someone to come over to the house and hang the lights outside but Jane insisted that she could save her money and the detective could do it for her. After some convincing Maura agreed to let Jane come over and hang the Christmas lights outside. Jane headed over to Maura's around eleven. When she reached the medical examiners home she let herself and Jo in through the back door and called out to Maura but was given no reply, her small dog running off to find her reptilian friend. The detective made her way towards the back of the house where she could just make out the sound of Maura's voice. She peered into the medical examiners home office to find that she was on the phone, though she didn't understand a word she was saying.

Jane nudged the door open gently and leant herself against the door jamb making her presence known, smiling playfully at her friend. The medical examiner was sitting in her office chair speaking what sounded like rather fluent French into the phone. When the doctor hung up she turned and was greeted with the detective's curious smile that she so often wore when around the M.E.  
"My mother." Maura offered a response before Jane could even ask.  
"You speak to your mother in French?" The detective commented.  
"Why not?" Maura asked in confusion. "We both know the language well enough. Plus it's good practice."

Jane rolled her eyes in defeat and started heading towards the front of the house. "So where are the lights?" She asked calling over her shoulder as she walked into kitchen. Maura followed promptly after the detective, walking past her in the kitchen and heading out the back door and across the drive way to the guest house. Jane followed quickly behind and Maura knocked on the guest house door. Angela answered a moment later and let the two ladies in.  
"Hello, Angela. We just need to get a few Christmas decorations from the spare room." Maura beamed at the woman she considered to be a second mother, or rather third in the medical examiners case.  
"Oh of course!" Angela smiled sweetly at Maura. "And you!" She snapped turning to her daughter, slapping her on the arm. "You'll come around to help your friend put up Christmas decorations but you won't help you own mother!"

Jane winced pulling her arm away from her mother's reach, giving her a shocked expression.  
"I figured you wouldn't need my help. Besides didn't you want Tommy to bring T.J. over so you could do it with him this year?" The detective questioned.  
"Yeah, but it still would have been nice if my own daughter had offered." said sounding sorrowful.  
"Well we could help you." Maura's voice chimed. Jane shot her friend a horrified look. Angela perked up at this news as she began to walk about the room, rambling on about what the girls could help her out with.

"Ext-nay, on the elping-out-hay!" Jane whispered ferociously in the medical examiners direction, giving her friend the 'cut-it-out' hand gesture. Maura stared back at the detective with a puzzled expression.  
"Why are you speaking in pig-latin?" The medical examiner whispered back. Jane contorted her face in frustration and took a step towards her friend before speaking again. "Why did you throw us under the bus like that!? My ma' is really annoying when it comes to decorations." The detective added matter-of-factly.  
"Well how was I supposed to know? Besides I'm sure she's not THAT bad." Maura said still keeping her voice low.

Three hours later Jane and Maura emerged from the guest house, carrying with them two boxes of ornaments and a large triangular shaped box, containing The medical examiners artificial tree.  
"I told you." The detective said with a smug tone and facial expression to match.  
"I didn't expect your mother would be that meticulous about something as miniscule as ornament arrangement." Maura tried to defend herself. "Yeah well you just got your first taste at what I've been dealing with for over thirty years." Jane said shaking her head. Maura stopped and turned around to face Jane whom had been walking behind her carrying the heavier box. The detective nearly ran into her friend, not realizing that she had stopped until the last possible second. Jane blinked wildly taking a step back trying to position herself better. The medical examiner looked at the taller woman with interest. "My '_first' _taste?" Maura said cocking her head to the side slightly. "Well yeah. You ARE part of the family after all." Jane stated simply. "Awww, Jane" Maura said grinning from ear to ear. The detective groaned loudly and shuffled passed the medical examiner quickly. "If you keep saying things that imply that I am anything other than a stone cold, badass I WILL disown you."

Jane helped Maura assemble the artificial Christmas tree in the living room before heading outside once again to hang lights on the house. The detective hung lights from the trim along the house while the medical examiner assisted by handing up items as they were needed. As the evening dragged on and they had finished decorating the outside of the house it was finally time to decorate the tree. Jane turned on the radio, which had been playing Christmas carols since the end of November, while Maura opened a bottle of red wine for them to enjoy. The detective usually wasn't a fan of wine but was feeling oddly festive and opted to drink the offered wine instead of a beer from the fridge. Each decorated one side of the tree, taking a step back every so often to make sure everything looked symmetrical. As they finished they both stood back next to the couch, far enough away to marvel at their work.

"Well now all we need is the tree topper." Jane said turning to her friend.  
"Oh!" Maura exclaimed, quickly setting her nearly empty wine glass down, and marched towards the back of the house. The detective took a sip of her wine, turning back to face the tree. Maura entered the room as quickly as she left carrying with her a box roughly the size of a brick. "What's that?" Jane asked. "Well I didn't have a tree topper prior to this so I ordered one online about a week ago." The medical examiner smiled and handed the box over to Jane. "Why are you giving it to me?" She asked, setting her wine glass down and taking the box. "I know that the topper is your favorite part. So I thought I'd let you do the honor." Maura said giving the detective a small shrug.

Jane smiled a little and opened the pristine box. Inside was a frosted glass star with a metallic frame hugging the glass by intricate swirls.  
"Wow, Maur. It's really pretty." The detective said, eyes still glued on the elegant decoration. "I thought you might like it." Maura grinned. "I also thought it would go well with the rest of the ornaments on the tree."  
The medical examiner was right. All of the other ornaments on the tree were either frosted glass, crystal, red, or silver. The star would look nicely atop the tree.  
"You sure you want me to christen your new tree topper? Don't you want it to be special?" Jane asked a little unsure.  
"Oh but this is special, Jane." Maura's said with sincerity. "This is our first Christmas together."

It was true, up until that point Maura had never spent a Christmas with the Rizzoli's. Thanksgiving night though, had given Angela the idea to invite Maura to spend it with them, since she was often alone during the holidays anyway. The medical examiner usually kept herself busy with work during the holidays but this year she was going to spend it with her newly found family. She'd always felt welcome among Jane and her family but it was different when she was invited and told she was considered one of them. The detective finally looked up to meet Maura's eyes. "Is it really?" Jane said, thoroughly confused. She was aware that's Maura had never experienced holiday decorating with her family but was stunned to realize that they'd never actually spent the holiday together. The medical examiner gave a simple nod. Jane smiled sympathetically at her friend, knowing that this was indeed a special moment.

Jane gently set the star back in the box before moving past Maura going to grab a step stool that was kept in the hall closet. Bringing the step stool into the room, the detective unfolded it, locking it into place, before setting it next to the tree. She climbed the short three steps on the ladder and indicated for Maura to bring the star over. Putting the star on the top of the tree was always Jane's favorite, even when she was little. It gave the tree a certain kind of life. It was what symbolized Christmas in everyone's homes, and getting to put the star on top meant having the power of bringing the Christmas spirit into the house. At least that's how Jane saw it as a little girl. She knew that it was just an ornament but it still always gave her a little rush of excitement whenever she got to put the star (or angel, in her mother's case) on top. Maura handed the star up to Jane and the detective delicately placed it at the peak of the tree.

Maura had watched Jane place the star atop the tree but what interested her more was the detective's child-like smile she wore while doing so, beaming from ear to ear, eye's almost glimmering with happiness. The medical examiners heart leapt in her chest. A sudden pull on her metaphorical heart strings reminded Maura of how much she admired Jane and how she desperately wished she could tell her friend what she was feeling. The detective smiled at her work and looked down at her friend who was already staring back at her.  
"So." Jane said eagerly. "How does she look?"  
Maura continued to look into Jane's eyes only one word coming to mind "Beautiful."


	5. Chapter 5

The girls retired to the guest bedroom where JoFriday and Bass had made their way into already. Jane and Maura propped themselves up in bed, JoFriday jumpe up onto the mattress to join them.  
"So how's Mark?" Jane asked, scratching Jo behind the ears.  
"He is well." Maura replied, watching Bass hobble onto Jo's spare dog bed; the medical examiner kept in the spare room for occasions like these when the detective and her dog would stay the night. "We have dinner reservations on Wednesday. He says he has something important he'd like to discuss with me."  
"Like, Oh my god. Do you think he's gonna propose? Jane said using her best valley girl impersonation, causing them both to laugh.  
"No, I don't think we've quite reached that part of our relationship just yet." Maura said glancing over at the detective whose eyes were fixed on her dog. A silence fell in the room and Jane shifted in the bed, sinking down under the covers, causing JoFriday to jump down and seek comfort on the floor near Bass. "Would you like me to leave you know?" The medical examiner asked. Jane yawned and threw the comforter over her head.  
"No. You can stay." The detective mumbled through the covers. Maura smiled down at the lump under the covers where Jane's head was, and slid her legs under the covers as well.

A silence fell in the room again, after about six minutes of complete silence the medical examiner submerged herself under the comforter as well. She rolled to face Jane under the covers, holding the spot where the comforter dipped between their heads, up.  
"Why are you hiding under here?" Maura asked.  
"Not hiding. Falling asleep." Jane mumbled, her eyes drifting closed. Maura waatched the detective for a moment, her mind smiling as she watch Jane gave a sleepy yawn.  
"Sorry about Ma' earlier." The detective said suddenly, keeping her eyes close.  
"You don't have to apologize to me, Jane. I didn't mind helping. And your mother really wasn't THAT bad." The medical examiner replied. Jane opened one eye and stared at Maura suspiciously with it.  
"What?" Maura asked looking rather taken aback by her friends suspicious gaze.  
"Just checking for hives." The detective said smiling and closing her eye again. The medical examiner rolled her eyes and let a small smile appear before stepping out of bed momentarily to switch off the lights.

At some point in the middle of the night the two had gravitated from their separate sides of the bed to the middle. Completely unaware of how their bodies naturally entwined. Maura stirred slightly in the early hours of the morning, only half conscious, she took notice of the body pressed against her side and the arm draped over her exposed abdomen, her shirt having rode up some in her sleep. She smiled contently and placed her hand over Jane's before falling back into a deep sleep. The detective woke a few hours after Maura with her throat dry and in need of a glass of water. She made an attempt to move off the bed but wasn't allowed to go anywhere. They had shifted in their sleep; the medical examiner was now facing Jane's back, with her cheek pressed against the detective's shoulder blade, and her arm wrapped around Jane's waist. The detective froze, hoping she hadn't woken the slumbering M.E. Jane's mouth felt gross and dry with a bad taste. She desperately needed to get up but didn't want to wake Maura, or risk her letting go. The detective gave up on the thought of quenching her thirst and relaxed back into position.

Feeling suddenly uncomfortable Jane tried her stealthiest to roll over, facing her friend. She managed to make it to her other side, but Maura had let go in the process. The honey blonde whimpered in her sleep and clutched the front of Jane's shirt in her hand before curling up close again, this time her head resting against the detective's chest. Jane stiffened briefly before cautiously wrapping an arm around Maura's waist. Relaxing in the embrace, Jane finally felt comfortable enough to fall asleep once again and within minutes was resting peacefully. They woke that morning on opposite sides of the bed once again, neither one having spoken a word to the other about how they individually found themselves in the previous hours of the early morning.

Christmas arrived without fail and Jane awoke in her condo with JoFriday curled up between her feet. She managed to drag herself out of bed and made her way to the shower to get ready for the day's festivities. The detective had promised her mother that she would arrive early to help Angela and Maura with the food. Once Jane was dressed and ready to leave she collected the gifts she had bought/wrapped for everyone and called for Jo to follow her out the door.

The detective arrived and Maura's house about fifteen minutes later, carrying with her gifts, with Jo following at her heels. She knocked on the front door with her foot, her hands and arms too busy cradling presents. Angela opened the door to the medical examiners home and ushered her daughter inside. Maura was just making her way down the hall as the detective had stepped inside.

"I'll help you with those." Maura offered, attempting to help lighten Jane's load. Jane yanked the gifts away from the medical examiners reach.  
"Nuh-uh." Jane said giving her friend a disapproving look. "There's stuff for you in here. I'm not letting you touch these until later tonight." Jane finished proudly.  
"Well we're doing presents after dinner over in the guest house." Angela stated.  
"Well then I'll just take these over to your place, Ma." Jane looked back around at Maura and finished teasingly. "By myself!"  
Maura's only response was to roll her eyes, a habit she had picked up from spending so much of her time with the detective. caught the medical examiners exasperated facial expression and chuckled before turning to help her daughter get out the back door and into the guest house.

Jane walked through the guest house over to where her mother's tree sat against the far wall. It was already overflowing with presents from Angela and Maura. Most of the presents she could assume were for her nephew T.J., but she saw a few with her name along with her siblings. There was no doubt about whose gift came from whom. Angela used a wrapping paper with Santa Clause all over it whereas Maura's gifts were wrapped in a reflective silver paper that had snowflakes embossed on it. Setting her gifts among the rest under the tree Jane noted that her gifts too were distinguishable amongst the rest. The only wrapping paper she had left was a simple, red, green, and white striped paper. Somehow they all seemed to match their personalities to her. She turned and headed back out of the guest house, and out of the back drive way towards her car. She grabbed a rather large red bow from the back seat of the unmarked police cruiser and headed through the front door once more.

"Hey, Maur. Where's Bass?" The detective asked curiously. The medical examiner looked up, surprised to see Jane coming back in from the front of the house, rather than the back where she had just disappeared from.  
"Uh…He's somewhere in hallway I believe." Maura replied a little concerned. "Why?"  
"Oh you'll see." Jane said, hiding the bow behind her back and running off down the hallway to find the large reptile. The detective found her friends companion in the guest bedroom, slowly making his way back out the door. Jane pulled the piece of plastic back and set the large bow on top of Bass's shell. She immediately burst into laughter.  
"Hey, Maura!" She hollered over her shoulder. "Come look at your Turtle!"  
"He is a Tortoise, Jane." Maura called back down the hallway as she made her way towards Jane's voice.

Maura stopped and watched as Bass made his way out of the bedroom, turning to head down the hallway, and saw the large red bow that sat perfectly on top of his shell.  
"Jane!" Maura scolded her friend, playfully swatting at her arm.  
"What?" The detective said still giggling. "He doesn't even know it's there, it's too light. I wouldn't hurt him." She added indicating to how oblivious Bass was to the bow on his back. The medical examiner gave her friend a look of slight disapproval. Jane shot back an innocent look and indicated to Bass once more. "Plus, he looks festive. I didn't know what to get a turtle for Christmas so I thought it'd make him look fancy instead."  
"Tortoise." Maura corrected again. Jane didn't seem to notice. "Well…he does look rather charming with it on." The medical examiner caved.

The three women spent the morning prepping dishes that would later need placed in the oven to bake. Jane helped Maura clean up around the house while Angela made pies. They worked for hours, with minor breaks in between, making polite conversation as they usually did. There was no mention of work, though Jane wouldn't have minded at all had there been. Later in the evening when everyone had arrived they sat down for dinner together just as they had on Thanksgiving; the exception being Vince and Barry who were invited to spend Christmas with them but wouldn't arrive until after dinner when they would be exchanging gifts.

Similar to their previous holiday shared, everyone sat around the dining room table to enjoy another celebration feast. Just as the group was finishing putting away dinner and dishing out desert, Frost and Korsak arrived. Angela and Jane served plates with pie and ice cream to everyone around the house. Maura had tried to take the role as hostess and help serve her guests but was denied the act of doing so. Jane knew how much the medical examiner had already done that evening and insisted that she sit down and let the detective serve her. Once everyone had finished their desert it was time for everyone to make their way to the guest house. Maura insisted that as part of her role as hostess she clean up after desert; that and not wanting to leave any dish out and unclean. Angela and Korsak both offered to assist the medical examiner but were denied by Jane.

Once everyone had made their way out the back door it slammed shut behind Tommy, the wind having picked up and pulled it shut. The detective jumped slightly from the ferocious bang of the door closing.  
"God!" Jane exclaimed. "Wind is picking up." She added, looking out the windows from the kitchen.  
"I anticipated this type of weather. I'm also predicting snow later tonight." Maura commented as she gathered the plates on the table and brought them over to the sink.  
"Oh really?" Jane asked mockingly. "Are you a meteorologist now?" she quipped.  
The medical examiner flashed Jane a look of warning while she rinsed plates and silverware. The detective only grinned loudly at her friend whom she could see wasn't in the mood for her sarcasm. "Well of course it's gonna snow. It's been freezing cold out since this morning; it's already tried to snow several times since I got here. The roads are probably all icy now."  
"Oh! Jane, that reminds me. Could you do me a favor and dump some rock salt out on the front steps and walk way? I don't want anyone slipping when they leave."  
"Sure. Where's do you keep the salt?" Jane replied.  
"There's a new bag in the trunk of my car." Maura said indicating to her where her keys were.

The detective went over to the coat rack were her coat, along with several jackets and Maura's purse was hung. Jane fished around in the medical examiners purse for a moment before she found her friend's keys. The detective slung her black trench coat over her back and shoved her arms through before heading out the back towards Maura's car parked on the side of the house. She removed the bag of salt from the trunk and emptied its contents along the pathway leading to the medical examiners front door. Jane rushed back inside closing the door behind her, trying to quickly shut out the cold, and placed Maura's keys back into her purse.

Maura had finished with the dishes just as Jane was walking back into the house. The detective grabbed the few pies that were on the dining room table and brought them to the island in the kitchen.  
"What should we do with these?" Jane asked. The medical examiner gave a heavy sigh before answering.  
"Just leave them there. We can cover them up for now."  
"What's the matter?" Jane sensed her friends mind running a mile a minute. Maura turned around to face the detective, keeping her eyes on her hands, which she was now fiddling with.

"Mark is moving." Maura stated unpleasantly.  
"Awww. Maur I'm so-"  
"He wants me to come with him." The medical examiner erupted once more. Jane froze.  
"Oh!" Jane's mind began to race. "Well…where is he moving to?" The detective asked trying her best to sound supportive.  
"San Diego." Maura stated.  
"California!?" Jane's nerves got the best of her, causing her voice to rise just slightly in anger. She managed to claim her voice before speaking again. "What did you tell him?" She asked this time sounding dejected.  
"I told him that I would have to think about it." Maura began. "He's a wonderful man but we've only been seeing each other for a couple months, it all seems rather rapid."  
Jane scoffed "I'll say." The detective began chewing her lip and pacing, avoiding the medical examiners eyes at all cost, loosing herself in her thoughts.  
"Jane, what's wrong?" Maura asked her friend. Jane didn't reply. Her head was filled with conflicting emotions and panic was setting in. Suddenly feeling overwhelmed the detective tried excusing herself.  
"I need to go outside for a moment."

She quickly ran out the back door and stood out in the frigid air, wrapping the coat she hadn't bothered to take off earlier tightly around her. Jane felt the hard lump forming in the back of her throat from holding back tears and clenched her jaw. Her thoughts were reeling in her head. What if Maura said yes? Then her friend would be across the country and she would never see her. Sure, could visit each other but it wouldn't be the same. Regardless the detective new eventually they would grow apart, the distance would be too much and they would stop keeping in touch. Jane's heart raced and her stomach began to knot, feeling as if someone were twisting her insides.

Maura rushed out moments later, having grabbed her grey pea coat in the process to shield her from the icy wind. The medical examiner caught sight of the detective who seemed to be breathing rather hard, as indicated by the white clouds forming in the chill air around her mouth. Maura realizing the distress her friend was in and moved closer to her friend. Jane stopped her, holding a hand out in protest.  
"Jane, what's wrong?" The medical examiner became worried for the detective. A tear managed its way through Jane's fight and fell down her cheek. Jane turned to face her friend in her panic and blurted out.

"You can't go, Maur. Ok? You have to stay, I need you here."  
"Jane, I haven't even made a decision yet. I don't know if I want to leave Boston."  
"So you'll stay?"  
"I-I can't promise you that." Maura said apprehensively. Jane's heart dropped and she remembered the promise she made to Casey. If she was going to lose Maura anyway then now is as good a time as any. "I will promise that if I chose to go I will come back to vis-"

"I love you!" Jane interrupted her friend, her voice breaking in the process. This time Maura froze. Jane continued before Maura could speak again.  
"I think I've loved you since they day I met you. Maur, you are the best thing in my life. You're smart and compassionate. You're as dedicated to your work as I am. You believe in people, in me! Sure you're a little stunted socially and goofy but it's part of your charm." Jane managed a weak smile. "You're a beautiful person inside and out and you deserve so much more than Mark or anyone else can offer you. I don't want you to move because if you do I won't know that you're safe and more importantly I won't know that you are happy, truly happy. If you leave who am I supposed to get coffee with in the mornings? Or who is going to nag me about my cholesterol and make me eat kale salads from time to time? The detective tried to joke. "Maura I love you and all your quirks, I even love that damn tortoise of yours."  
Maura went to correct Jane but was surprised to realize she didn't need to.

"Maura the reason Casey and I broke up was because he knew that I loved you and he wanted me to tell you but I couldn't. I couldn't tell you because I didn't want to lose my best friend. But if I'm going to lose you anyway I might as well confess. I love you and I'm scared of losing you because you mean more to me than even I'm aware of. I don't expect you to feel the same, I'm glad you've found someone, I know what you've been through to find a decent guy and I'm sorry it's been so hard for you. Boston is your home though, your friends, your family is here. We will all miss you if you go. It won't be the same without you, so please, PLEASE….don't leave us." Jane's eyes overflowed with the tears she had been trying to hold back.

"You love me?" Maura asked, her voice breaking and her eyes brimming with tears.  
"Didn't you hear anything else I just said? Yes, yes I lo-"  
In two quick strides Maura threw her arms around the detective neck, crashing into her, cutting her words off with a deep kiss. Jane instinctively wrapped her arms around Maura's waist, when the detective's brain finally caught up with what was going on she squeezed her arms tighter around the medical examiner, holding her as close as possible. Their kisses were deep and passionate, expressing things only lips could express, only braking apart to take in quick breathes before continuing their kisses. Both women's cheeks were streaked with tears of happiness, as they pulled apart Maura looked into Jane's eyes and stated simply.  
"I love you, too."


	6. Chapter 6

Jane stayed staring at Maura, confused for a brief moment before registering the medical examiners words. A warm smile spread across the detectives face when she saw the sincerity behind a pair of hazel eyes.  
"You do?" Jane asked, feeling a little breathless suddenly.  
"I do." Maura replied softly, placing a kiss on the detective's lips once again. Jane whimpered softly under the kiss, giving the medical examiner a gentle squeeze around her waist. They pulled apart some-what but never letting go completely.  
"Why didn't you tell me?" The detective asked.  
"Same reason you didn't tell me." Maura sighed. "I was afraid of what it would do to our friendship. The risks were too high, so I went through my feelings for you logically every time that I felt that sudden rush of oxytocin."  
"I could arrest for that you know?" Jane teased.  
"Oxy_tocin_, not Oxy_contin_." The medical examiner corrected. "Oxytocin is neurohypophysial hormone. Produced in the brain by the hypothalamus and secreted by the posterior pituitary gland." Maura stated. The detective merely stared back blankly. "It's the chemical in your brain that lets you feel love and trust." The medical examiner went on.  
"Ahhh." Jane said, smiling lovingly at the woman in her arms.  
"Plus you were with Casey at the time." Maura continued. "And when you told me you broke up with Casey I was already with Mark."

With her words, Maura suddenly gasped, jumping back out of the detective's arms.  
"How am I going to tell Mark?" Maura questioned out loud, her face contorting into an expression of guilt.  
"You mean you aren't going to leave Boston?" Jane asked, surprised even though they had both just confessed their feelings that they had been carrying around for so long.  
"You're the one I want to be with Jane. Of course, I feel bad now. Mark really is a wonderful guy…" The medical examiner paused.  
"But…?" The detective sensed Maura's sentence wasn't complete.  
"But he's not you." The medical examiner replied tenderly. Jane took hold of Maura's hands, gently stroking the backs the blondes hands with her thumbs. Learning that her feelings were mutual with Maura's had calmed the detective down immensely. They stood like that for a few moments the icy wind had all but disappeared and large flakes of snow started to drift slowly from the night sky.

Jane laughed suddenly gaining the medical examiners attention.  
"What's so funny?" Maura asked rather confused.  
"It's just…" Jane laughed again. "This is all so cliché."  
The medical examiner tilted her head, still perplexed as to why Jane found this moment so amusing. "I just confessed to my best friend, on Christmas, that I love her. Then she proceeded to kiss me and told me she felt the same." Jane explained, hoping Maura would catch on.  
"I can see how that may be perceived as cliché." Maura stated.  
"The only way this could be more of a cliché is if we just happen to be standing under mistletoe." Jane added still feeling rather entertained by her realization.

An idea struck Maura, her eyes widening with excitement, she spun around on the spot and tugged Jane hurriedly along behind her.  
"Maura, what are you doing?" Jane questioned. The medical examiner didn't say a word. She dragged the detective by the hand out of the cold and in through the back door of the house, stopping herself and Jane directly in the hall entry way. "Seriously, Maura what is-" But Jane was stopped short by the medical examiner indicating for her to look above their heads. Hanging from the archway was a small portion of mistletoe.

"Mistletoe is often used during the holidays as an excuse for two people to kiss. Not many people know however that it is a type of santalaceae. It's partially parasitic, meaning it gets its nutrients from a living host, such as other flowers, trees, and even bushes. But in this case mistletoe is typically found in tr-"  
"Would you just shut up and kiss me?" The detective itterupted, smiling softly at the other woman.  
"Oh!" Maura blushed, wrapping her arms around Jane's neck, bringing her lips to meet the detectives in a long, passionate kiss.

In that moment the back door opened and Frankie walked in.  
"Hey, what's taking so long? We're like half way through…" The younger detective looked up just in time to catch the two women quickly separating from one another. "Presents." He finished with a questioning look, pointing at the two of them.  
Maura stood, frozen like a deer caught in the headlights, unable to move or speak.  
"Oh. It's just you." Jane sighed, quite relieved that it was her brother and not anyone else.  
"Did I just walk in on something important?" He asked a little too smugly for Jane's taste.  
"Possibly but I wouldn't know because you interrupted us." The detective replied, waving her hand around in frustration. Her brother smirked in response. "What do you want?" Jane asked, having not really heard him upon his entrance.  
"We're finishing up with presents and you two gotta come open yours." He said before turning back towards the door. "I'll let everyone know you're on your way."

Frankie headed out the back door once again and left the two in a moment of silence.  
"Well we should probably head over there." Jane finally spoke, slowly making her way towards the door. The medical examiner finally shook herself free of her shocked state and called out to Jane before she reached the door.  
"Jane!"  
The detective stopped and turned to face the M.E. who was still standing under the archway. "What do we do now?" The medical examiner asked nervously. The detective made her way back over to her friend, standing close and looking her in the eyes.  
"Don't worry about Frankie, he won't say anything. And…well…I think we have some stuff to talk about. Wouldn't you agree?" Jane asked giving Maura a playful smile.  
"Yes, I believe we do." Maura replied simply.  
"Good." The detective said with a relaxing sigh. "But not right now." She added quickly.  
"Right now we've got presents to go open." Jane took Maura by the hand giving it a reassuring squeeze before leading her out the back door.

Once inside the guest house they took their seats and joined in on exchanging gifts. Jane plopped herself down on the floor next to her nephew who was playing with a Nerf gun that his aunt had gotten him, while Maura took a seat on a chair near the detective. The rest of the night the two women made sure to keep enough space between them so they wouldn't seem suspicious to anyone; minus Frankie who was the only one that knew. Later on when the detective could get a moment alone with her brother she would ask him to keep it to himself until she and Maura could figure things out. Being the kind of brother he was, Frankie promised to keep the news to himself and teased his sister light heartedly about having finally recognized her feelings for her friend.

After everyone had said their goodbyes and had gone home Maura and Jane retreated once again to the medical examiners home. The two sat in front of the fireplace to warm themselves from the cold winter night, the only light in the room coming from the lit Christmas tree and the fireplace. Jane sat on the floor with Maura leaning back against the detective's chest. They sat in a comfortable silence; Jane's arms draped over the medical examiners shoulders, just watching the flames dance.  
"So…" Maura breathed, lacing her fingers with the detectives. "Should we talk about the nature of our relationship now?" the medical examiner asked.  
"We've had a long day. Maybe we should just relax the rest of the night and talk this all out in the morning." Jane replied.

Maura agreed, it had been an exciting evening and maybe it would be best to get some rest before diving into the details of their new relationship. The two sat in front of the fire place a little while longer, exchanging tender touches and soft kisses. Realizing how late it was, Maura moved to put out the fire while Jane turned off the Christmas tree lights. Once Jane and Maura had finished with their nightly routines separately they rejoined each other in the medical examiners bedroom. The two women curled up in bed together, this time, both completely aware of how close they were to one another. Maura found comfort in the crook of Jane's neck, where she nuzzled the soft skin there before closing her eyes and loosely gripping the front of the detective's shirt. Jane ran her fingers through waves of honey blonde hair, letting it waterfall over the pillows beside the medical examiners head. The detective kissed Maura's forehead and held her closely before relaxing enough to fall into a blissful sleep.

When Jane woke the following morning around ten fifteen a.m. she wasn't really surprised to find that Maura was not beside her. She knew the medical examiner was an early riser and had probably been up for several hours. The detective made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth before walking down the hallway towards the kitchen, where she could smell coffee. She smiled sleepily walking into the kitchen, not taking any interest in her surroundings, just reaching to pour herself a steaming cup of joe. After taking a few sips Jane turned to face the living room where she took in the sight of Maura, with her hair pulled back, wearing (very form fitting) track suit while reading the news.

"Already go out for a run?" Jane asked walking into living room, setting herself on the opposite end of the couch.  
"Actually I had some business to tend to this morning." Maura started, setting her paper down and turning to Jane.  
"Business?" Jane asked suspiciously eyeing the medical examiners outfit. "In that?" She finished. Maura stared back at the detective in mock offense.  
"Are you saying you don't like my outfit, detective?" Maura joked.  
"Wha-? No! You look great! You know what I mean!" Jane fumbled though her words.

Maura gave the detective a reassuring smile before shifting her position to sit cross legged on her side of the couch.  
"You have a gift in the tree." Maura said nodding towards the tree. The detective looked from other woman to the tree in the corner of the room. Placed in amongst the branches was a white envelope with the name "_Jane_" scrawled neatly in the center.  
"Why didn't I see this yesterday?" Jane asked, setting her drink down and moving towards the tree.  
"I got it for you this morning." Maura confessed.  
"Aww, Maur. You didn't have to do that, really. My gifts last night where enough." Jane said bringing the envelope back over to the couch, taking her seat once again.

The previous night over in the guest house Jane had received a new pair of black Doc Martins, a personalized Red Sox jersey, and a sweater for JoFriday from Maura. While the medical examiner had received a large box of expensive chocolates, a fancy looking teapot, along with some teas and a small container of coffee grounds the detective threw in as more of a gag gift. Maura ignored Jane's comment and waited eagerly for the detective to look inside the envelope. Inside Jane found a plane ticket from Boston, Massachusetts to Portland, Oregon. Dumbfounded the detective looked up managing to get caught in the medical examiners gaze.

"I have some things to attend to in Oregon and Washington over the next several days and I would like you to come with me." Maura stated.  
"Maur, I-"  
But Jane was cut off before she could get another word out. "I am aware this is short notice but I've already spoke with Lieutenant Cavanaugh and he has informed me that you have acquired more than the necessary days I have requested off for you."  
"Wait." The detective said, managing to get a word in. "Cavanaugh just let you request days off for me? No questions asked?"  
"Well I never said he didn't ask any questions. I simply told him I was leaving town for a few days and that I would be requiring your assistance." Maura stated.

"I-I don't know Muar." Jane said nervously rubbing the back of her neck. Of Course she wanted to go and spend the time with Maura but there was a reason she never took time off of work, she was dedicated to her job. "What if the guys need me?" She asked.  
"They are well trained detectives, I'm sure they could do without you for a few days." Maura said taking notice of the detective's contemplative face. "I know you want to stay but you work constantly, you running yourself into the ground. You should really take this time off to help control your cortisol levels."  
"What do you know about my cortisol levels?" Jane asked defensively.  
"You work in a very demanding/high stress environment. Your diet it terrible, you're much more prone to getting sick, and god only knows what your blood pressure is." Maura said, standing up and taking Jane's empty coffee mug into the kitchen.

"So now you're bringing God into this?" Jane joked, turning in the direction of her friend from her spot on the couch. The medical examiner looked back at Jane, unamused.  
"It's a figure of speech." Maura sighed.  
"Yeah, yeah, I know." The detective said turning back to look at the plane ticket sitting on the coffee table. Realizing there wasn't going to be an easy way out of this Jane exhaled dejectedly and stood up making her way towards the hallway. The detective stopped and turned towards her friend before making her exit.  
"Fine!" She groaned. "I'll go to Oregon with you."  
Maura beamed with satisfaction as she moved over towards Jane, wrapping her arms around the detective's waist. Jane stubbornly kept her arms to her side, trying her best to avoid the loving smile coming from the shorter woman.  
"Thank you." The medical examiner said softly before tip-toeing herself up to better kiss the detective.

"Alright." Jane said once they pulled apart. "I guess I should head over to my place and pack a few things." The two let go and Jane started making her way down the hallway. "Hey, Maur?" The detective called, re-entering the kitchen.  
"Yes?" The medical examiner looked back towards the hall.  
"Shouldn't you talk to Mark before we leave?"  
"Actually I took care of that this morning as well." Maura confessed.  
"Oh? Care to tell me how it went?" Jane pried.  
"It went well (as far as ending relationships go). I just explained to him I couldn't leave Boston. It's my home, where my career is, and my friends are..."  
"Alright." The detective said, her voice sounding a little disappointed.  
"And that I'm in love with someone else." Maura added reassuringly.

Back at Jane's apartment the detective packed a bag with jeans and long sleeve shirts. Knowing west coast weather would be similar to east coast weather this time of year. Maura had told her she didn't need to pack anything other than what was comfortable to her so she did just that. Jane called her mother and made arrangements for JoFriday to stay with her while the two women were out of town. Angela was thrilled when she found out that the medical examiner was taking Jane with her on her trip, knowing how much her daughter needed a break from her stressful job. The eldest Rizzoli promised to look after both Bass and Jo.

Jane finished packing her belongings and grabbed up Jo's bag of dog food and a few toys; her mother already had dishes at the house for the pup to use. She threw her belongings in the trunk of her car and set off back towards the medical examiners home. On the drive back to Maura's the detective couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. She'd never been to the west coast before, and the trip caught her a bit by surprise seeing as how they would be leaving tomorrow morning. Jane was also a little excited because this was the perfect time to get away with Maura. They would have the perfect chance to possibly take things further in their relationship. Something they had both been yearning for, for over six years. Now that they both knew how the other felt, it was perfect to have a small get away, just the two of them. Jane couldn't help but wondered if maybe Maura had planned this on purpose.

Walking through the house, Jane set her things in the guest bedroom before finding herself standing in the doorway of Maura's yoga room. Directly in the middle of the room the medical examiner was shifting slowly from Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-facing dog) to Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-facing dog). Jane tilted her head taking in the sight of Maura's form fitting clothes clinging to her obviously flexible body. The detective leaned against the door frame and smirked as she watched the medical examiner in silence.  
"Hello, Jane." Maura said with an amused tone. She had heard the detective making her way up the hall and even though her back was turned, knew she was watching her from the doorway.

"Hey how'd you know I was here?" Jane asked, snapping out of her almost trance.  
"Your energy is very disruptive." The medical examiner stated, coming out of downward dog to stand. Jane gave her a disbelieving face as a reply. Maura's smile told the detective that she was only kidding. "You stomp your feet a little when you're concentrating on something. I heard you coming up the hallway." The medical examiner said.  
"Oh." Was all Jane could get out before Maura spoke again.

"So what's on your mind?" Maura asked. There was a pause before Jane spoke again.  
"Do you really have business to attend to or did you plan this all along?"  
"A colleague of mine asked if I could fly out to help with a case he is working on." The medical examiner said matter-of-factly "But in light of recent events I decided to extended my trip and bring you along." She added with a sly smile.  
Jane gave Maura a playful smile before turning back into the direction of the front room.  
"I'm gonna go watch TV while you finish…" The detective waved a hand dismissively. "Whatever it is you've got going on in here." She finished taking a few steps back down the hall.  
"Jane." The medical examiner called out from the yoga room. Jane took a large step back, leaning her torso far enough back for her head to poke around the door frame once again.  
"Yeah?" She said partially hanging in the entry way. Maura had made her way to the door and leaned in to give Jane a quick peck on the cheek.  
"I'm glad that you decided to come with." She said softly. Jane looked into Maura's hazel eyes lovingly, unable to hold back yet another smile.  
"Me too." Jane replied sincerely.

**A/N: Giving credit this chapter to my friend Samantha for helping me figure out a gift that would suit Maura coming from Jane.**

**I hope you all are enjoying it.  
=]**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: If you haven't seen Fight Club and would like to watch it without any spoilers I suggest reading no further at the "warning" I've thrown in. Not that it's a giant reveal about the movie but if you'd like to stay surprised it might ruin it a bit. I don't know. I could be wrong. DO WHATEVER THE F*** YOU WANT!**

**Thanks again for reading!  
****=]**

* * *

The following morning Maura and Jane piled their luggage into their cab and made their way to Boston Logan airport. They checked their larger bags and made their way through security with ease. Once on their plane Jane had settled herself into the seat next to the window while Maura made herself comfortable in the aisle seat. Planes made the detective nervous. She had only been on a few in her life and now she had to be on one for just over eight hours. Jane had brought a few things to keep her occupied during the long flight, though the thing that kept her mind most occupied and nerves most calm was the medical examiner to her left. Not wanting Maura to pick up how on-edge flying made the detective she put on a brave front while they ascended.

Once the plane had reached its cruising altitude the medical examiner adjusted to busy herself. She folded down the tray that was attached to the seat in front of her, fishing in her bag for her laptop and files that she would need for this trip. While Maura read through the case files she had, Jane watched apprehensively out the window. Eventually the detective tore her gaze away from the cities below and folded her own tray down, unsure of what to do. She had brought her lap top, a few magazines, her iPod, and even some cards but nothing seemed to interest her, so she tapped her fingers nervously on her tray table. Maura glanced to her right, spotting the detective tapping her fingers and once again looking out the window with a look of concentration. The medical examiner may not do well at picking up on social cues but she was an expert at reading facial expressions and body language. Concluding that Jane was in some state of unease the medical examiner reached out to take the nervous detectives hand.

When Maura had taken Jane's hand in her own it had caught the detective off guard. Jane had watched Maura as she settled into work expecting her to be fully engrossed in her readings. A wave of comfort washing over her once she felt the gentle squeeze the blonde gave her, reassuring her that everything was alright. Maura had been flying in planes as far back as she could remember and she knew she was more likely to get struck by lightning than their plane was to crash. Knowing this fact, she still would try to sympathize with how people, including Jane, could still feel discomfort. The detective looked up from their hands and was met with a pair Hazel eyes. Jane really didn't want to let her unease show. The detective was never one for letting others see her vulnerable side. As she found herself staring at Maura she saw that the medical examiners eyes only held compassion and understanding, never judgment.

Maura suggested that Jane try and sleep, that their flight would be long and knowing that the longer the detective remained conscious the longer her body would endure stress. Jane complied and did her best to sleep for as long as she could during their flight, it was fairly easy considering how early the two had woken up in order to catch their flight. The medical examiner spent the entire flight (minus their stop in Denver to refuel) going over the case that her college required her assistance with. His findings seemed to be in order and she was reasonably certain that his predicted cause of death was correct, but she needed to see the body herself to confirm. Jane spent a majority of the flight sleeping or listening to music, doing anything she could to relax. Only when the plane touched down in Portland did the detective finally feel her nerves calm a bit more.

They departed the plane as quickly as possible and headed for baggage claim on the bottom floor. While Jane watched for their luggage Maura arranged for a cab to take them to the hotel they would be staying at for the night. When they arrived at their destination and had paid the cab driver, they made their way to the front desk to check in.

"I'm checking In. Doctor Isles." The medical examiner stated approaching a young man at the front desk. He was tall and slim with neatly trimmed brown hair wearing the typical Concierges garb.  
Jane stood behind Maura, taking in the luxurious looking hotel, listening to the small clacking noise coming from the front desks keyboard.  
"Ok, …" The young man said looking at his monitor. "And how long will you be staying with us?" He asked finally bringing his attention the honey blonde woman in front of him.  
"Just for the night." She replied. The young man nodded and typed some more information into the computer.  
"Alright, so I have you in room 805 on the eighth floor. How many room keys will you be needing?" He asked looking from Maura to Jane and back.  
"Two." The medical examiner replied with a courteous smile.

After handing over a credit card and declining luggage service the two women made their way to their room. Jane had been particularly quiet all morning, even after they had left the airport. When they found their room five doors down from the elevators, Jane inserted the little plastic card Maura had given her into the key card lock, the light flashed green giving the detective the okay to enter. Jane opened the door and side stepped offering the medical examiner to go first. Maura thanked the detective and walked in setting her things down in the closet near the door. Jane followed behind Maura and stopped as she took in the sight of their room.

The sort hallway that led to their room was wide enough for two people to walk down together. To her left was the rest room, and to her right was a rather deep closet, bigger than the one in her apartment bedroom back home. Stepping farther into the room the detective took in the large room. The far wall was an entire window pane that over looked the city; there was a desk against the corner of the left wall along with a very large television mounted to the wall beside it. The room had a beautiful color scheme of dark chocolate, cream, and an accent of vibrant blue. Jane dropped her bags near the foot of the bed and spoke for the first time since they had arrived.

"Holy shit!" Jane exclaimed still taking in the room. She had stayed in some nice places before but this by far was her favorite to look at.  
"Jane!" Maura warned.  
"This room is gorgeous!" The detective said trying to defend herself, never taking her eyes off of it. The medical examiner sighed and moved closer towards Jane who was nearing the window to take in the sight. She slipped her arms around the detective's waist, resting her head against the tall Italians back.

Jane spun around in the medical examiners arms, bringing hands to rest on the medical examiners shoulders.  
"I really am glad I came." Jane admitted.  
"I know." Maura simply smiled up at the detective. Jane brought a hand to lift Maura's chin slightly, bringing her lips to meet the medical examiners. They shared soft kisses for a few moments before pulling apart.  
"We should get going." Maura breathed sadly once their lips parted. Jane raised a curious eyebrow. "I told 's that I'd be at his office around four." The medical examiner finished. Jane looked over at the clock on the nightstand that read 3:03.  
"Would you mind if I stayed behind?" Jane asked sheepishly. "I could use a real nap and I don't want to get in the way of your work."  
"Of course, Jane you can do whatever you'd like. I had to offer, I would have felt guilty having brought you all the way across the country and leaving you alone the minute we got here. Are you sure you don't want to come along?" The medical examiner asked.  
"I'll be fine here until you get back." Jane replied honestly. The detective smiled softly before giving Maura one last peck.  
"I shouldn't be gone longer than a few hours, I promise." The medical examiner stated heading towards the door, grabbing her bag with the files and her supplies in it.  
"Ok. See you later." Jane called as Maura headed out the door.

While Maura was away Jane decided to make herself cozy in their hotel room. She grabbed some clothes out of her suitcase and headed for the bathroom. The detective reached into the glass shower and turned the handle in the 'hot' direction. She stood with her hand under the water waiting for the temperature to adjust and once the water was warm enough she disrobed and slipped into the steaming shower. Jane let the hot water cascade over her tanned Italian skin, ridding her muscles of the tension they had been holding onto since she boarded the plane that morning. Once she had washed up and felt relaxed enough she stepped out of the shower into a fresh white towel that hung on a rack near the shower. As she dried herself off she wriggled her way into more comfortable attire, a pair of pajama shorts and an old black tank top.

Climbing into the sheets on the bed Jane decided to watch some TV, she picked up the remote next to her side of the bed and watched as the television flicked on. She channel surfed for a while, stopping to check the weather forecast on the news. She knew they wouldn't be staying in Oregon very long so she took notice more to the parts of Washington that showed up on the forecast. Both states looked as though they would remain cold and rainy for the duration of their stay. Seeming so similar to Boston weather in December, Jane didn't really mind how the weather was going to be. The detective began to channel surf again before running into the movie channels, she found a movie she had seen before and settled on watching that. Within minutes of her movie Jane had fallen asleep, curled up under the beds thick comforter.

Around eight at night Maura had finally finished with and had arrived back at the hotel. The light on the key card lock turned green when she swiped her card, granting her access into the room. Opening the door she noticed how dark the room was, only flashes of soft light coming from the television. The medical examiner quietly closed the door behind her; slipping her heels off and setting her belongings in their respected places, she crept into the room towards the bed. Maura paused when she approached the side of the bead nearest to the hallway. There, still curled up in the middle of the bed, she found a sleeping Jane Rizzoli. The detective was covered from head to toe as she had buried herself deep in the warmth of the blankets, only her wild dark brown curls could be seen out of the mound of white sheets.

It warmed Maura's heart every time she caught the sight of the detective sleeping so peacefully. Swiftly lifting the covers and crawling in bed, the medical examiner positioned herself so she was face to face with the sleeping beauty. Using her index finger, Maura gently stroked from the middle of the detectives forehead to the tip of her nose, repeating the motion until Jane's eyes fluttered open.  
"Hello." Maura said quietly, a smile so obvious in her tone.  
"Heeeeeeyyy." Jane said with a sleep filled voice. "When did you get back?" She asked stretching.  
"Just now. How long have you been asleep?" The medical examiner questioned. Jane flung the covers down from above her head and look over Maura's shoulder to the clock that sat on the opposite night stand.  
"Since abouuuuut…" She paused doing the math in her head. "…Forty five minutes after you left."

Jane adjusted her position so she was sitting up in bed. Maura sat up as well and leaned over to turn on the lap on the night stand nearest her side of the bed.  
"How was the….Uhh…how was the consult?" Jane asked, squinting her eyes at the sudden light in the room.  
"It went well. My findings only confirmed original cause of death." Maura explained getting up from her spot and opening one of her bags to retrieve some fresh clothes and her shower supplies.  
"And what did already determine the cause of death was?" The detective asked curiously.  
"Autoerotic asphyxiation." The medical examiner stated matter-of-factly.  
"Oh, God!" Jane groaned looking mortified.

"I'm going to shower and change. Do you want to order room service while I'm getting situated?" Maura asked, her tone hopeful.  
"Sure." Jane replied rubbing the last bits of sleep from her eyes and getting up to retrieve the hotels room service menu that laid on top of the desk. Once again the detective stopped to look out and take in the view of the city, now only lit by the buildings and street lights below. Jane pulled the tall curtains into place, closing their room off to the outside world before she picked up the menu and placed a call to room service.

When the medical examiner stepped out of the bathroom she walked in to find Jane had turned on the overhead lights and was back in her side of the bed watching TV.  
"What's this?" Maura asked rather interested in what was playing on the television.  
"Not sure. I'm just waiting for what's supposed to come on after this one." Jane stated. The detective broke her gaze from the TV and brought her attention to the honey blonde. The sight before her nearly made Jane's jaw drop. Maura had chosen to wear a long sleeve, dark magenta colored top, with a familiar pair of black yoga pants she had seen the doctor wear many times during one of their runs or at yoga. Her honey blonde hair was a few shades darker and still damp from her shower. The detective took special notice however of Maura's shirt. The top half of the shirt was meant to look like a button up though all three of the buttons were undone, revealing most of the doctor's chest.

Jane licked her lips subconsciously. Realizing how she must look from another perspective, just gawking at the medical examiners chest, she forced her attention back to the TV before the blonde could notice. It's not that Jane didn't want Maura to know she was ogling at her, she was just intimidated. She had never been with a woman before and though the thought of being able to touch Maura was very enticing, she was much more comfortable with just being able to hold and kiss her whenever she felt like it. _Slow and steady wins the race_, she told herself. Though this is **not** the advice the detective would use at any other time in her life.

"So what is supposed to be on after this?" Maura asked turning to face Jane.  
"Uhh…Fight Club is supposed to be on next." The detective said, trying to recall what she was waiting for in the first place. The medical examiner scrunched her nose at the title of the film.  
"Fight Club…" She said unenthusiastically. "Is it safe to assume that it is a violent film?" She asked her eyebrows scrunched in a slightly concerned manner.  
"You've never seen Fight Club?" Jane's voice rose involuntarily. Maura just shook her head. The detective huffed out her amusement. "Ok. You've GOT to watch this movie with me." Jane said eagerly patting the empty spot on the bed beside her. The medical examiner continued to give the brunette a look of uncertainty but gave in, seeing as how she had spent so much of her day away from the detective when all she really wanted was to be next to her. Maura took her place in bed, curling up next to Jane's side.

**(_Warning__)_**

Minutes later their food arrived; they would finish their meal before the movie was half over. Once they'd finished with their food, Jane jumped up to turn all the lights off before propping herself back up in bed, were she tangled herself up with Maura once again.

"D.I.D" Maura said aloud, the realization hitting her.  
"Excuse me?" Jane asked breaking her focus from the screen and bringing her attention to the medical examiner resting against her shoulder.  
"Dissociative Identity Disorder." Maura clarified, never taking her eyes off the movie. She had become quite caught up in it. "Well I guess this would technically be considered Dissociative Fugue Disorder. D.I.D is characterized has have multiple identities or 'Alters' whereas with Dissociative Fugue is a dissociation of one's self where they become confused about their personal identity and could **_possibly_** lead to the creation of a new identity. It's rarer than D.I.D but it would explain all the traveling he was unaware of until now." The medical examiner finished indicating to the TV where the character on the screen was having his own realization.

The detective had listened to Maura's dissection of the movie's plot intently, watching how the medical examiners eyes never left the televisions screen, seeming so interested in what was going on.  
"Are you enjoying the movie, Doctor Isles?" Jane asked, rather impressed that Maura hadn't grown tired of movie choice. The medical examiner brought her attention to her right, where the detective was staring down at her.  
"Yes, I am." Maura stated, giving a small smile, dimples threatening to appear. The two sat there, mesmerized by one another. Jane watched the shadows that painted the room from the TV's luminescent glow glance across Maura's soft skin and reflect back from lustrous hazel eyes.

The medical examiners eyes flickered back and forth from the detectives deep brown eyes to her delicate pink lips. Maura cupped the detective cheek with her palm, gently stroking the skin on Jane's cheek with her thumb. Resting her head in the medical examiners hand a rush of emotion flooded the detectives mind. Leaning down slightly she caught Maura's lips in a passionate kiss, trying desperately to convey her emotions without having to speak. Maura understood every non verbalized sentence coming from Jane's lips.


	8. Chapter 8

Jane groaned as the light peering in through the crack of the curtains had hit her in the face. The brunette grumpily rolled over in her sleep practically throwing herself on top of her slumbering companion. Maura was sleeping face down on her side of the mattress when she was woken by a sharp shift in the bed and pressure against her back and legs. Spread out like a starfish now, Jane had her face to the honey blondes back, with one leg and an arm draped across Maura's frame. The detective groggily opened one eye, attempting to focus in on the clock on the medical examiners night stand. With a few tired blinks to adjust her vision, she read the clock informing her that it was five forty five in the morning. After another groan of displeasure Jane turned her head slightly, managing to bury her face in honey blonde locks. Inhaling the scent that was uniquely Maura, the brunette relaxed, letting go of her frustrations.

The medical examiner laid perfectly still the entire time, allowing herself time to adjust to being woken, and enjoying the contact between herself and the brunette. Feeling the detectives relax against her body, Maura decided to slip out from under her friend. Jane groaned again, this time a bid sadly, when the blonde slipped away beneath her. Maura laughed under her breath when she looked back to see the detective pouting with her eyes closed.

"Good morning, Jane." Maura's voice rang softly sending a pleasurable shiver up the detective's spine.  
"It's too early to be getting up." Jane grumbled once again.  
"We have to go pick up the car by eight." The medical examiner added with a yawn. Throwing the covers over her head in a feeble attempt to salvage sleep the detective continued to mumble.  
"twenty more minutes?"  
"I'll give you fifteen."  
"Thirty more minutes?"  
"Ten."  
"An hour?" Jane's voice was bordering that of a small child's plea.  
"Five. Minutes." Maura answered with a challenging tone.

Kicking the covers off and scrunching her face in mild annoyance Jane slowly made her way out of bed. It didn't take them too long to get themselves and their things ready. Maura had called for a cab before leaving their room and as they checked out at the front desk their taxi had arrived. Once they reached their destination on Southwest Pine they received their keys for their 2014 white Kia Rio and headed out in search of breakfast. They spotted a little café near the 205 and stopped in for some breakfast.

Jane brought her Coffee and a muffin over to a table near the window, where Maura joined with her latte and a fruit salad.  
"So where are we headed?" Jane asked.  
"I happen to own some property on Bainbridge Island, so I thought we could spend some time there." Maura said casually sipping at her coffee.  
"Where is that at? And why do you own property in Washington?" Jane asked bluntly.  
"It's approximately three hours and forty five minutes a four north of here, depending on traffic." The medical examiner added quickly. "And why does anyone invest in property, Jane?"  
"To have a roof above their heads." The detective stated obviously.

Maura gave the detective a familiar look that suggested she was not impressed with how Jane chose to tease her.  
"It started out as an investment decision, but I mainly keep it as a vacation home now. It's a rather stunning place to stay." Maura finished, taking a sip from her latte.  
"Alright." Jane said with a shrug. She knew Maura had come from a wealthy family so things like vacation homes were probably something she had grown accustomed to as a child. It only made sense for her to grow up and want the same things. And the detective was sure the home was lovely. Though the medical examiner and herself had many different tastes, she could appreciate the blonde's eye for detail.

"We'll make a stop up north for groceries before we reach bainbridge. We should really get going soon though." The medical examiner stated as she got up from her seat.  
"Ok but I'm driving." Jane said, getting up from her seat as well.  
"Why do you always get to drive?" Maura asked with a hint of impatience.  
"I don't always get to drive." The detective added matter-of-factly.  
"A majority of the time we spend in the car, you spend behind the wheel." The medical examiner continued.  
"Ugh! Okay fine. You can drive." Jane said exasperatedly.  
Maura smiled in her triumph. "But I'm picking the music." The detective added quickly. At This the medical examiners smile fell and she quickly tossed the keys to Jane.  
"I change my mind. You can drive." Maura stated. The detective gave a victorious smirk as she followed the medical examiner out the front door.

Three and a half hours later Jane found herself driving down a long stretch of road, walled by rows of trees on either side.  
"Turn right up at this driveway." Maura instructed.  
Jane was about to protest that she didn't see any driveways along either side of the road when suddenly she noticed an opening of the trees and a gravel driveway leading to the right. She slowed the car and rolled in. The driveway was much longer than she had expected, she followed the twisting roadway about a quarter mile before they reached a large detached two door garage. The medical examiner fished around in her purse before retrieving a set of keys and stepping out of the car, instructing Jane to keep the car running. The detective watched as Muara followed a stone path around the side of the garage and disappeared. Not ten seconds later one of the garage doors opened and Jane pulled the car forward.

The two grabbed their luggage and headed up another stone path that lead to the front entrance of the house. The detective had offered to help her friend with her bags but was politely declined. The house looked to be constructed of mostly wood and stone, but what caught the detectives eye was the amount of glass. Very large windows paneled the front of the house, allowing in the natural light. There were no blinds or shades on the windows, and looking around the detective didn't see any reason for the extra privacy the curtains would provide. The property was pretty secluded surrounded by trees and Jane hadn't seen another house since a mile or two before they pulled into the driveway. Maura used the keys she had opened the garage door with to unlock the front door. Peering into the home the detective could see straight through to the back yard. She assumed that the back side of the house must be paneled with windows as well.

The medical examiner pushed open the door and offered to Jane go first. Stepping inside the detective inspected the large open space. A long, smooth, stone hallway ran from left to right. To the far left was the kitchen, again made up primarily of wood, with slender stone wall separating the kitchen from the living room. Directly in front of them was the living room; a couch sat facing a stone chimney at the farther end of the room, identical to the wall behind the couch. To the right, behind the chimney, sat a lengthy dining table that Jane could barely make out from her current position.

Maura walked in and set her keys and phone on the long bar that separated the living room from the hallway.  
"So where would you like to stay while you're here? I have a guest bedroom but I'm confident the master bedroom will accommodate both of our things." Maura spoke, shaking the detective from her dazed state.  
"I think I'll stick with you." Jane said taking in the vaulted ceiling and the clerestory windows. The medical examiner gave a small smile before turning to walk down the hallway.  
"This way then." The honey blondes voice rang.

The detective followed her friend to the right and down the hall. At the end of the hallway an open door lead to smaller, yet cozy looking room. With a carpeted floor, comfortable chair, and the walls shelved with books, Jane smiled at Maura's little home library. Turning left at the end of the hall the two women passed a door to the left and a door to the right, which Maura indicated were the guest bed and bathroom. The medical examiner led Jane to the upstairs landing that was just as open as the downstairs had been. A similar living room set up waited at the top of the stairs.

Looking past the living room and to the deck outside, the detective saw some rather simple patio furniture. Continuing to follow the medical examiner, Jane was lead to a door just behind the smaller gathering room. There was a large bed against the left wall with a nightstand on either side. Again the bed faced a slender stone wall but only one side of this room was visible to the outside. Maura made her way over to the california king in the middle of the room and placed her bags down. Jane mimicked the medical examiners actions and set her bags down next to the blondes.

Desperately wanting to break the silence Jane spoke in her usual taunt.  
"Jeez, Maur. All this space and not one TV?" She said with a smirk.  
Maura looked at the detective with a playful glare before sauntering over to the stone wall. She reached up to what looked like a glass cupboard and pushed rather than pulled. The cupboard door made a click sound and sprang back to the medical examiner's hand as she was pulling it away, revealing a television behind it.  
"This is the only television in the house." Maura said rather proudly.

Maura showed Jane where she could put her belongings and showed her to the master bathroom, that was just to the right of the stone wall in the bedroom. Jane walked in to find a marble floor with a glass shower big enough to fit at LEAST four people comfortably and a long jacuzzi like bathtub next to it. The detective gave a sigh of relief when she noticed that this room had no large windows along the walls, keeping this room a tad more private than the rest of the house, but wasn't surprised to find the large sky light that looked down upon half of the bathroom. She placed her things on one side of the his and her sinks, running her hands through her dark unruly curls as she contemplated her next move.

The detectives thought had been buzzing around in her head since the morning Maura had surprised her with that plane ticket. They hadn't fully discussed their relationship yet and now was the perfect time; they were on vacations, neither of them were busy, and most importantly they were all alone. Glad that for once no one could barge in on their intimate moments, Jane finally had enough nerve to bring up the subject with Maura. She quickly did a once over in the mirror, smoothed her hands over her yellow t-shirt, and headed back out the door.

"Sooooo...Should we have that talk now?" Jane asked when she re-entered the bedroom.  
"Talk?" The medical examiner asked, unsure of what the brunette was referring to.  
"You know...about us. The _**talk**_" The detective said in the honey blondes direction. Maura had been hanging a few of her things in the walk-in closet and had stopped to peer out and face the detective. When she caught Janes glance it struck her.  
"Oh!" Maura said suddenly remembering one of the many reasons she had brought Jane along on this trip. "Of course." She nodded. "I would like to have that discussion." The medical examiner abandoned putting her belongings away for the time being and walked closer to where Jane stood, in the middle of the room. "Did you want to start?" The blonde asked.  
"Yes." Jane replied. Maura took a few steps back, smoothing down the back of her skirt before she gracefully took a seat on the foot of the bed. The detective paused for a moment trying to collect her thoughts and translate her feelings into words. They had been so clear a moment ago but now had seemed to jumble in her head once again.

"It makes sense, right?" She blurted out. "I mean after everything we've been through together." The detective paused and chanced a glance at the medical examiner. Gathering that she should press on the brunette continued. "I mean, after EVERYTHING that's happened to us, all of our thrilling life events like Dennis Rockmond and Hoyt. I think those events are what really formed this bond we have, ya' know? Not to mention how close you are to my family. We work together and practically live together. Jo and Bass even have their own little interspecies kinship." She added with a small laugh, causing Maura to laugh as well. "You've always been there for me and I don't want to imagine a life without you in it. You were my best friend, you ARE my best friend...And in the past yeah I would be supportive of some of the guys you slept with because thats what friends do I'm SUPPOSE to support you. But the truth is I hated every single one of those guys. I was jealous that they got to kiss you and touch you and just be with you. Not ONE of those idiots knew what they had when they were with you. All they saw was a gorgeous face and an amazing rack. They didn't even take time to notice the best parts of you. You are the smartest person I know and I admire you so much. I would really like for us to be more than JUST friends."

A long pause lingered in the room. It wasn't a comfortable silence that hung between them like usual. What felt like a lifetime to Jane passed before Maura spoke.  
"Jane, I've known for a long time that i've wanted to be with you."  
The detective felt her cheeks pull into a small smile. "And I have thought long and hard about what this would mean if we were to become more. But have you?"  
"Of course I have." Jane replied a little defensively.  
"Really? Because though I know what you say is true. I know you love and care for me and I feel the same for you. But did you REALLY think about what this would mean if we took the next step? Did you think about how we would tell everyone, or how this could affect our work? What happens if we break up? Could we stay friends?"

The detective could hear the panic in Maura's voice now and it broke her heart a little. Her defensive tone was immediately replaced with a much more calming one.  
"Of course we would stay friends, Maur come o-"  
"But you don't know that Jane. You don't know anything for certain." Maura's uncertainty ran through. She had never had a long lasting relationship and she was never sure if that was her fault or not. The medical examiner knew she wanted to be with Jane, but was unsure of the risk involved. The beautiful brunette was the only good relationship she'd known. There was only two options at how this would end and both meant a great deal of heartache for Maura.

Jane closed the distance between them and pulled Maura to stand up so they were face to face. Taking the medical examiner's hands in her own the detective reassuringly stroked the back of the blondes hands.  
"I know, without a doubt in my mind, that I am in love with you." The detective said seriously. "And as for the rest of it we can figure all of that out as we go, I know that seems scary but new relationships are kind of frightening. That doesn't mean you should run away from them. Especially if the person is someone who helps make you a better person, like you do for me." The brunette added with a smile. "What if we did this and it turned out to be one of the greatest decisions we've ever made? We wouldn't know unless we gave it a shot, right? We've got our hypothesis, now lets test our theory." The detective said, hoping to interest Maura's science side that was always eager to learn.

Maura searched Jane's eyes for any shred of doubt and found the detectives words to be true. She had no doubts, none that Maura could find, and that reassured the medical examiner quite a bit.  
"I would very much like to be your girlfriend, Jane." Maura nearly whispered. The detective smiled softly and wrapped her arms around the slightly shorter blonde, embracing each other for a moment. Jane kissed from Maura's temple, to her cheek, finally landing an official kiss on the medical examiners silky lips.

The kiss that started out soft and sweet began to swell into one of passion and desire. After all the things they've said and all the feelings they had been holding back for so long, neither felt the need to hold back any longer. Finding it unbearable not to touch one another anymore, hands began to explore as kisses became rougher and deeper than ones prior. Any doubt that either had previously about being with the the other had vanished, all either wanted was to touch as much of one another as possible.

Maura was more than willing to have Jane be so near to her. She tilted her head instantly when she felt the detectives nose brush her neck, allowing Jane better access to one of her weaker spots. Reeling the fire building between the two back in for a brief moment, the detective tenderly brushed her lips over the porcelain skin of Maura's neck. The soft contact sent pleasurable shivers up the medical examiners spine, causing her to react by biting down on her bottom lip. Just as quickly though Jane planted a kiss that turned into a playful bite. Testing the waters the detective waited to gauge Maura's reaction. When the detective was greeted with the honey blondes breath hitching she took that as her green light and bit down a little harder.

Maura was pleased with Jane's approach, and even more pleased when she bit down again, this time with more force. The medical examiner bit down on her lip again, stifling a moan, and thread her fingers tightly through untamed locks of the detectives hair.

Things became more heated after that. More kisses and rough play was made. Jane's mind began to spin when Maura had taken the detectives bottom lip between her teeth. And she nearly lost all control when the medical examiner began showing a force Jane had never seen before when straddling the detectives waist on the bed and pinning her to the sheets.

They spent several hours exploring each other in many different ways. The first few times were a bit rough, after having so much pent up sexual frustration for one another. Once their initial frustrations had been extinguished their touches became sweeter, still filled with passion but kisses had softened and nails no longer dragged down skin, nearly drawing blood.

The two lay there in the bed, bodies intertwined and hair disheveled. Jane's head rested against the medical examiners chest, rising and falling with each breath the blonde took. The detective closes her eyes, being lulled by the sound of Maura's heart beat. The medical examiner stroked her fingers up and down Jane's exposed back, the rest of her body completely relaxed by the warm skin to skin contact.

Jane traced Maura's naked body with the palm of her hand, starting from her ribs and slowly making her way down the womans side and over her hip. The feel of the soft skin beneath her palm caused the detective to lick her lips. The brunette shifted slightly and presses kisses directly to the center of the medical examiners chest, eliciting a pleasured purr from the spent blonde.

"I don't know if I can physically hold myself up anymore, Jane." Maura said, her eyes closed and she ran a hand through the detectives mane. Jane propped herself up, bringing her lips to meet the medical examiners.  
"That's ok. You relax." She said between kisses, switching from Maura's lips to just behind her jaw. "I'll do all the work." The detective whispered seductively in the blondes ear. Maura tensed and let out a small breathy laugh, understanding the detectives motives. Jane kissed her way down the medical examiners jaw, to her chest, and trailed her way with kisses below the sheets at Maura's hips.

**A/N:** _Ok so that took longer than expected. I'm getting lazy. I'm sure the next chapter won't be up for another week...or two...or more... _  
Don't hate me. (Or do, your opinion is your opinion and you are entitled to it)_

_Anyway Halloween is this Friday so I hope you all have a good one. (If you don't celebrate the holiday for any reason the following message still applies)  
__**Stay safe and have fun!**_


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:**

_Oops!_

_That took WAY longer than expected. _

* * *

The next two days flew by in a hazy blur. Jane and Maura had spent most of their time at the house either in bed or exploring the woods and water that surrounded the property. They were content just being alone together with no one to interrupt them.

The morning before new years eve, Maura placed a call to her favorite restaurant in the city. New years day the two would be flying back to Boston and the blonde needed to make sure their final hours in the city were spectacular. Maybe that way she could manage to drag the stubborn detective _back_ to Washington for another visit.

"I have a surprise for you tonight." The medical examiner said, slipping on more appropriate footwear for the run they were about to go out for.

"Oh, yeah?" Jane replied with a knowing grin as she slipped into her jacket. It had begun to sprinkle outside so the brunette decided to borrow one of the rain weather coats hanging in the medical examiners large wardrobe.

"Does it involve an expensive dining setting and a bottle of wine that I won't be able to pronounce the name of?" Jane murmured playfully.

"Perhaps...part of it. How did you know?" The blonde whined.

"I heard you on the phone yesterday morning." Jane smirked as she walked over to give the blonde a quick peck on the cheek.

When the two returned home from their outing they headed upstairs to the bedroom once again. Jane threw off her wet gear and stretched herself out on the bed, flicking the television on. After changing into more comfortable clothes herself, Maura joined the detective under the covers of the large bed they shared. Mere minutes into whatever had been playing on the screen, Jane looked down to find the blonde completely dormant.

Jane was familiar with missing out on sleep, even if she was completely exhausted. The detective laid in bed watching tv for a while, until the sleeping presence next to her rolled over. When Maura was far enough away the brunette slipped out of bed and made her way downstairs.

Jane stopped herself at the end of the main hallway, deciding to poke around in the library. Very tall, very wide bookshelves lined every wall. The two walls that ran the length of the room were filled with everything from Shakespeare to fashion magazines. The farthest wall seemed to house a collection of textbooks. Jane ran her fingers over the spines of a few outdated biology texts. The detective smiled softly to herself as the thought of a 'freshman-in-college' version of Maura came to mind. Still as beautiful and as smart as ever.

Bringing her thoughts back to the present, the brunette made her way through the rest of the downstairs. Taking time she hadn't over the past few days to really enjoy the small things in the medical examiners second home. The detective inspected the artwork that hung on the walls there. Not unlike the artwork displayed at Maura's home in Massachusetts, but there was definitely less. Probably due to the large windows that served as the walls in this home, the brunette thought to herself. When Jane had finished snooping around she decided to head back upstairs. Just as the brunette was walking through the door she heard a soft voice.

"Having fun without me?" Maura said from her spot on the bed. Jane smiled softly and made her way to the bed and crawled over top of the blonde laying there.

"Tons." Jane joked, leaning down to kiss the blondes forehead. Maura smiled sleepily, and tilted to catch her the detectives lips.

"How long was I asleep for?" the medical examiner asked when she was finally able to sit upright.

"Not long. Half hour. Maybe." Jane said, running a hand through her dark curls.

"Did you not sleep?" Maura asked.

"Wasn't really tired." Jane shrugged as she climbed off the bed.

"Do anything interesting while I was unconscious?" The blonde droned.

"Snooped through your porn collection in your library." Jane said playfully, prancing off towards the closet.

"Jane Clementine Rizzoli!" Maura gasped in mock offense.

The medical examiner gracefully made her way to the closet to grab a clean towel that that was sitting on one of the shelves. Smiling playfully as she walked passed the detective once more, heading for the bathroom.

"You know I don't keep my pornography where people can easily find it." The honey blonde teased.

An hour or so later Jane had flicked on the news while she was getting dressed for the evening. A grey haired man, approximately in his late forties was reporting a number of crimes that had been recorded for the week. The detective counted three different thefts, one domestic violence account, and two suspicious deaths.

"Good to know crime is alive and well in places other than Boston." Jane muttered to herself as she tightened her belt.

"In other news; We've got a storm rolling in. High air pressure from the -*"

The detective squinted at the television screen as the weather man made a series of gestures around digital map as his back ground. Indicating that a thunder storm was building up over Seattle.

The weather on their trip had been particularly finicky. It was never constantly sunny but the meteorologists had been predicting back and forth whether a storm would appear or not the entire time Jane and Maura had been on the west coast. So far there had been no actual storm and so this news didn't bother the detective. Assuming that once again there would be no actual event to speculate. She picked up her socks and shoes, sitting back on the end of the bed to finish getting ready.

Once Maura had finished getting ready for their evening, the two headed down the steps outside to the garage. Jane opened the passenger side door for her enchanting date, then quickly slipped herself into the driver side. They drove to the fairy that would take them across the water to Seattle.

The ferry took three fourths of an hour for them to reach the other side. During which time the detective had grown bored and began to make comments about "Going the speed of a snail." To which the medical examiner then felt the need to explain that the speed at which they were traveling was far greater than the speed of a "Terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc." They laughed and made small talk during the remainder of their ride.

When the ferry docked on the other side of the water, the detective drove another thirteen miles to the restaurant Maura had pulled minor strings to get them into. Once there, Jane again ran around to open Maura's door; Feeling oddly chivalrous. It wasn't that the detective felt that Maura was inferior to her in any way, she merely felt the medical examiner deserved a night of being doted over.

Their meal was spectacular and the music contemporary yet refined. Their booth in the back of the room set a very intimate ambiance. Jane scooted closer once their meals were finished and check was being paid. She listened to the music and let a side of herself show that normally she never let the world see. The detective took Maura's had in her own and leaned in close to whisper sweet _everythings_ into the honey blondes ears.

After the check was paid they gathered their coats and headed back outside to the car.

"Now I have a surprise for you." The detective admitted once they got in the car.

"What do you mean?" The medical examiner asked, interest written in her features.

"You'll see." Jane smirked as she pulled on her seat belt and put the car in drive.

Several short minutes later they pulled into a parking lot between fifth avenue north and Broad street. Maura had been instructed to close her eyes and she complied. Once again the detective assisting the blonde from her seat on the passengers side. They looped arms and Jane guided her out of the parking lot.

"Ok, we have to cross the street but you gotta keep your eyes closed." The brunette instructed frimley.

"Jane this is dangerous. If I can't see where i'm going I could injure myself." The medical examiner cautioned.

"I'll be your eyes. Don't you trust me?" Jane asked only half joking.

Hazel eyes snapped open and searched out to find the pair of dark brown eyes staring back at her.

"With every fiber of my being." The blonde nearly whispered.

The honesty that came with those words left the detective breathless. Jane brought her free hand up to cup the medical examiners cheek. She stroked the skin there slowly as she brought their lips closer together. The kiss was brief but conveyed a tenderness that they both felt for one another.

Maura closed her eyes again quickly with a smile and they headed across the street. When they reached their destination, Jane positioned the blonde in front of her and instructed the medical examiner to open her eyes.

"Jane!" The honey blonde exclaimed in delight when she took in the sight of the monument in front of her. Jane had surprised her with a visit to the space needle.

"I didn't know if you had been here already or not. I thought either way a night visit would be interesting." The detective explained.

"I actually haven't made time to explore this specific area. Thank you, Jane. And you're right. A night viewing will be fascinating." Maura added, taking the burnettes hand in her own.

They took the elevator up, making their way to the observation deck. The wind blew around sending a chill through the top of the building. They found a section of the deck that was fairly empty, maintaining their intimate space together. Maura stepped closer to the fenced railing, the glow lighting up the city was beautiful. Jane stood behind the medical examiner, snugly wrapping her arms around the blondes waist.

"It's very beautiful up here." Maura stated.

"Yeah. It is." Jane replied, keeping her gaze fixed on the medical examiner. The detective leaned over a bit, resting her head on the blondes shoulder.

"Thank you for bringing me with you on this trip, Maur. I've really loved it." Jane whispered.

"It's my pleasure. I've really loved our time here as well. It's a shame we have to leave it all behind tomorrow." The medical examiner added somberly.

"But what a way to ring in the New Year." Jane added quickly.

"Not quite yet. We still have a few hours to go." Maura beamed.

The detective nuzzled her face in the blondes neck and gave a gentle squeeze around her waist, receiving a content hum in reply. They took in the sight of the city from five-hundred and twenty feet up. Maura turned around in Janes arms, holding onto the lapels of the detectives coat, pulling her in for a long and tender kiss.

"I love you so much, Maur." The brunette whispered breathlessly once their kiss ended.

"I love you too, Jane." The medical examiner replied softly.

Maura leaned her head against Janes chest, closing her eyes, savoring the feeling of Jane gently swaying them. The detective held onto her girlfriend, kissing the top of her head before resting her chin on top of honey colored hair. They stayed like that for a while longer before Maura suggested getting back home for the night. They took one last look at the sight before them, shared another quick kiss, and headed back down to the car.

Once in the car Jane cranked the heat on. It Must have dropped nearly fifteen degrees since they left the restaurant earlier. Jane shed her jacket and tossed it in the back seat before securing her belt buckle and throwing the car into drive.

"The GPS says the Ferry is closed. We'll have to take the long way around." Maura stated once she was strapped into her seat, punching in directions back to their destination.

"Of course." The detective drawled out her words in time with her eye roll. Softly smilling when she caught sight of the woman sitting beside her.

The medical examiner reached over and took Jane's right hand, sliding her fingers into the spaces between the detectives. The brunette pulled the back of Maura's hand to her lips and pressed a quick peck to the porcelain skin there.

"I don't want to go back home tomorrow." Jane whispered in a mock whine, keeping her eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"why not?" Maura asked sincerely surprised.

"This past week has been so great. It's just been us, you know? In this...kind of...bubble." Jane fumbled through her words. "When we get home I won't be able to keep this from anyone and I don't really WANT to. At the same time though, as soon as Ma's hears about us things are going to be...idk...just…" She sighed heavily. "Not the same."

"Do you not think your mother would approve?" The medical examiner asked.

"No, it's not that. She loves you, Maur. We all do." The detective turned briefly to give the blonde a reassuring smile. "In fact if anything she'll be ecstatic about this. But you've seen how she gets when i'm seeing someone. She gets all...in my business. She'll want to be in OUR business, I..I just don't want that!"

"Well when we get home and we tell her the news then we'll just have to explain to her that we'd like a little _extra_ privacy." Maura suggested like it was the most sensible response.

To this Jane turned her head, giving the blonde and incredulous look.

"You _have_ met my mother, right?" The sarcasm in the detectives tone, matching her face perfectly before she turned her attention back to the road.

"I'm serious, Jane!" The medical examiner laughed. "We'll just have to lay some ground rules with here. I'm sure she'll be very accommodating."

Jane scoffed at the mere image of her mother being told to butt-out of her daughters love life, even if it's just for a short while.

"Fine." The detective sighed. "We'll try it your way." She added giving Maura's had a squeeze.

Jane knew the reality of their situation, she knew her mother would most assuredly be on them like a hawk. There was no point in denying the medical examiner anything. Jane was stubborn but when it came to Maura, the detective would do everything for her.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **_Here's the new &amp; final chapter to this story._

_Merry Christmas!_

* * *

A loud rumble filled the night sky practically signaling the rain to come down.

"Did you hear that?" Maura asked as she looked out the passenger side window.

"Yeah. The news said there was suppose to be a storm tonight. I expected it hours ago with the way the sky has been looking today." The detective shrugged.

The rain began to fall; slowly at first but growing heavier as they drove on. Even with the windshield wipers at full speed, it did little to alleviate the vision problem the rain was now causing.

"Holy crap!" Uttered the brunette, grimacing.

The Night sky grew pitch black as they pushed through the pouring rain. A loud crack through the sky, immediately followed by a lightning strike illuminated the thick clouds above; causing the medical examiner to give an audible gasp of astonishment.

Jane had half expected the blonde beside her to become worried or suddenly begin to educate her on thunderstorms. Instead she found a child like version of Maura sitting next to her. Practically pressed up against the glass, the medical examiner continued to watch the storm with curious eyes. It warmed the detectives heart to see her companion this way.

Not too far ahead, on a smaller back road Jane had followed the GPS on, the bright red from multiple tail lights shimmered through rain drops on the windshield; signaling for the detective to slow to a stop.

The downpour beating against the metal of the car was deafening inside the small space. A man in a yellow and orange reflective vest made his way down the line of cars ahead and finally approached Jane's side of the car. He tapped against the detectives window which she amiably powered down. The man had a kind face under his stubble and spoke with a confident, reassuring tone.

"We've got a tree down just up ahead. The weather has complicated things a bit but I've got my crew working on it now. Shouldn't be longer than an hour before we've got enough room cleared to start sending people through." He smiled and nodded at the two women before making his way back towards his crew.

Maura thanked the man and Jane returned his courteous nod before powering her window back up.

The detective pivoted in her seat, taking a few napkins from the blondes hand that she had pulled from the glove compartment.

"Well, shit." Jane said as she began wiping off the parts of her door that the rain had spilled onto.

Maura merely rolled her eyes with a small smile playing on the corners of her mouth.

The brunette smirked as she caught the sight of her friend's reaction. "Looks like we're gonna be here a while." She indicated to the line of cars in front of them. "Should probably kill the engine for a bit." Putting the car in park and shutting off the engine the two women sat for a few minutes studying the line of traffic ahead of them. The sky above still thundering, so loud now that the once downpour of rain sounded like soothing white noise in comparison.

Maura reached over taking Jane's hand in her own entwining their fingers together. The detective smiled at the comfort she felt from the contact. Never before had she felt this way towards another person. Yes, she cared deeply for her friends and family; always so protective of everyone in her life. But the feelings she felt when she was with the woman holding her hand were incomparable to anything else she had felt for another person.

Suddenly a distinct sound caught the detective's ear. Her brow furrowed trying to place it, as far as she could tell nothing inside the car was making that noise. It wasn't the rain outside the car, nor was it the crack of thunder through the sky.

The sound became louder and louder in her ears. Just as her brain placed the familiar sound; her eyes had just enough time to meet the view of a large SUV hydroplaning in their direction. Before she could react the large vehicle was slamming into the back of their car. They lurched forward, seat belts locking the two women in place. The sound of metal colliding with metal left a paralyzing ringing in their ears. They slammed once into the car ahead and ricocheted off into the trees lining the small road way. The car bounced off a tree from the driver's side finally coming to a full stop.

Filled with adrenaline, maintaining consciousness throughout the experience; Maura had only mere seconds to asses the brunette next to her. Slumped against the airbag behind the wheel Jane lay motionless. A light began to grow brighter allowing Maura to see further that Jane's head was bleeding. Realizing where the light was coming from, Maura turned just in time to see the grill of the offending vehicle crashing into view. Pinning the smaller car back into the tree and effectively rendering both women unconscious.

R&amp;I

"Did anyone else ever notice that exceptionally bad things tend to happen here when it's raining?" A tall doctor with dark hair tied up in a ponytail announced as she came rushing in through a set of double doors to meet the arriving EMT's.

"You work at a hospital, bad things happen here all the time; regardless of rain or shine." A shorter doctor with dark blonde hair, sporting a similar hairstyle offered, rushing to join her.

"We've got a four car pile up en route. EMT's are on their way with at least 3 traumas. I've got Traumas one and two prepped and ready." A large man with a commanding tone announced as he rushed towards the emergency , both women flanking his sides.

Just as they stepped out of the back entrance to the Hospital two ambulances came to a halt in front of the large double doors. The back doors of the first ambulance flew open and a women in dark blue rain gear stepped out immediately listing off injuries sustained by the person laying in the gurney.

"Early thirties, Male, with crash injuries, deep lacerations to the forehead, patient was stable in the field but bottom out on the drive. We've done compressions for the last 26 minutes."

The large man stepped inside of the vehicle, pressed his fingers to the patient's neck checking for a pulse. He shook his head signaling for the others to tend the the second ambulance that was now arriving.

R&amp;I

The Lights from inside the ambulance pierced Jane's eyes from behind their lids. She grunted and stirred, blinking at the light.

"Ma'am? Ma'am you need to lay still. You've been in an accident and you've suffered some serious injuries. I need you to lay as still as possible, ok? Can you tell me your name?" A soothing voice cooed from Jane's left.

As if the words gave her brain the signal, the detective suddenly felt the pain shooting up through her legs and all around her head.

"Rizzoli. Jane Rizzoli." She hissed through the pain.

"Ok, Jane. We're taking you to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. We should be there any minute.

"Where is Maura?"

"Who ma'am?"

"Stop calling me Ma'am. The woman in the passenger seat? Where is she?" Rizzoli's voice grew louder in anticipation of the EMT's reply.

"She's already at the hospital. Another ambulance got to her before they could reach you. The Surgeons at Grey, Sloan are taking good care of her. We'll be there shortly, please try to breathe."

R&amp;I

"Torres I need you, we've got another incoming." A booming voice called from outside the room where the two female surgeons had gone into.

"Hunt is calling me. You got this Grey?" Dr. Torres asked as she disposed of her gloves in the nearby bin marked 'Hazard'.

"Yeah, just get Kepner in here." Meredith replied quickly as she used a portable ultrasound on the patient's abdomen.

"Kepner! Trauma one!" The brunette shouted as she burst through the door sprinting in the direction she was needed. As the tall doctor left the room a shorter red haired doctor rounded a corner; shouting "On It!" as she barreled passed her in the opposite direction.

Dr. Hunt wasted no time explaining as Dr. Torres exited the building joining him.

"Patient name is Jane Rizzoli. Laceration to the forehead, possible crushed femurs…"

"That's a pretty serious head lac." Torres commented wheeling the gurney through the double doors onto the emergency room floor. " We're gonna need Amelia Shepherd down here." Torres announced for a nearby nurse or intern to deal with.

"On your six, Torres." A petite brunette announced signaling the other surgeons to bring the gurney to a brief stop.

"Hi, Jane. I'm . I'm just gonna take a quick look at this cut on your head, ok?"

"I'm gonna need an ultrasound down here." said and she began her inspection of the detectives legs.

"Jane can you follow my light with your eyes, please." Dr. Shepherd asked as she pulled a small pen light out from the pocket of her her lab coat to shine into the detectives pupils. Jane complied and followed the doctor's light doing her best not to wince from the pain in her head.

"Thank you, Jane. Now can you squeeze my fingers." She asked bringing both index fingers to rest in the detectives palms. Jane wrapped her fingers around and squeezed just hard enough to appease the doctor.

"Everything looks good. We should probably run a C.T just to make sure but she should be fine for surgery." Shepherd said bringing her attention to her colleagues.

"Damn it!" Torres muttered under her breath, using the ultrasound on the detective right thigh.

"What's wrong?" Hunt whispered, his brow furrowing.

"I can't get a pulse. She's losing circulation to her legs. We need to get her into an O.R." Torres said to hunt, passing off the portable ultrasound to a nearby intern.

"I'll let them know we're coming up." Hunt said, leaving to find a phone.

"Jane's we're going to be taking you up for surgery now. You're legs are losing circulation and im going to need to perform a fasciotomy. We need to do this as quickly as possible to ensure you get to keep both your legs. Ok?" kindly informed Jane, who could no longer feel the pain in her legs.

"Wait! I need to know about Maura. The woman in the ambulance told me they brought her in just before me." The detective said; her nerves causing her voice to shake.

"We will get someone to check in on her and we will give you the update as soon as possible." The tall doctor reassured.

Trying to put her fear aside for both her sake and Mauras, Jane relaxed onto the gurney. Dr. Hunt had returned and was quickly mapping out a strategy with . The detective allowed her head to loll to the side. Through the sea of white lab coats she could make out another gurney being wheeled away across the room. With a white sheet draped over a still body Jane's heart began to race.

"_It's not her, It's not her" _she thought to herself.

The room around her became a beehive of sound. She couldn't pull any specific word out over the loud hum of voices and monitors. The two young men wheeling the gurney opposite Jane came to an abrupt stop causing the body on board to jerk and a bloodied hand to slip from beneath the white sheet. How many times had she seen this scenario in her line of work? A lifeless body being escorted away in similar fashion. Death was not new to her, she was painfully aware of it's presence every day. However tonight it scared her more than it ever had. The hand fell in almost slow motion as the detective watched. Several streams of blood curled their way from beneath the sheet and trickled down a delicate fingers. Undoubtedly a female hand, the detective couldn't convince herself to remain calm much longer.

"Maur?" She whispered.

The surgeon's above her were not listening.

_I know that hand. How many times have I touched those hands? _**_held_** _those hands? _**Kissed** _those hands?_

"Maura." She said a little louder.

Looking around Jane finds a blonde surgeon stepping out of a room labeled trauma one. The surgeon watches the blanketed gurney stopped in front of her. Her face is a mixture of exhaustion and disappointment and she sighs heavily tearing off her red stained surgical gown.

The gurney begins to move again and the detective can just make out a lock of honey blonde hair that has poked out from beneath the sheet.

Muscles in her stomach tighten in sorrow , her eyes widen in fear, and an engulfing anger take hold of the detective.

"No. No! Stop! No!" She begins to cry out.

"Jane? Whats wrong? Are you in pain?" Dr. Hunt says moving into Janes field of vision.

She begins to squirm to try and see around the boulder of a man. Tears already clouding her vision.

"Maura! Is that Muara? No, no, no. Maura!" she cries hoarsely.

Dr. Torres's follows Janes direction of sight to find Meredith Grey looking back at her; nodding her head in a silent confirmation. Dr. Torres looks back down to her patient with a somber expression.

Jane reads her surgeons expression and the pain she feels inside is worse than a car crashing into her.

"Jane? we're going to give you a sedative to help you calm down ok?" Dr. Hunt says empathetically, taking a syringe from a nurse and pulling the cap off quickly to administer the drug.

Jane's muscles began to strain, a sharp pain in her leg caused the detectives muscles to contract sending an unbearable pain up through her leg and into her spine.

Dr. Hunt quickly injected the syringe into a smaller part of an I.V that the E.M.T's had placed in Jane's arm in the ambulance. The room around the detective started to become hazy. Her vision was blurred, though she couldn't tell if that was from the drugs rapidly taking effect or from the tears in her eyes. Soon her body began to relax as the drugs coursed through her bloodstream. The noises around her slowly began to fade.

"_Ten!"_

The number registered with the detective. Jane looked up towards the doctors moving around her. She was lifted briefly and set gently onto another bed that had been rushed over by some interns.

"_Nine!"_

Hunt and Torres flanked the detective on either side, flipping the beds guard rails to easier push the hospital bed down the hall towards the elevator.

"_Eight!"_

Jane felt the jerk of the beds wheels being taken off lock.

"_Seven!"_

More muffled now, she could still make out the rhythmic counting of people in the E.R. unaffected by death or intolerable pain.

"_Six!"_

She felt the bed begin to move and her slowing thought process had caught up.

"_Five!"_

Jane closed her eyes in defeat. The drug was working quickly and deep was calling for her.

"_Four!"_

One last whimper of pain escaped the detective as the Dr's and other medical staff flew through the E.R. doors connecting to the rest of the hospital.

"_T h r e_ _e!"_

Darkness was coming for her and so was a new year.

"_T w o !"_

She felt no pain anymore; emotional or physical. All thoughts of a crash, the woman she loved, or even the concept of life could no longer be processed.

"_o n e!"_

* * *

**A/N: **_*Sing-song voice* And a Happy New Year!_


End file.
